Misophonia is the hatred of noise, in case you didn’t know that yet. I’ve seen a lot of articles about it recently. It’s something I’ve experienced most of my life, but never knew it had a name. It’s considered a mental disorder, which I find mildly disturbing, but can completely agree.
As a child, I remember hearing and watching my grandmother move her mouth around and click her dentures. Not only did it annoy me at 9 years old, it made me feel nauseous. The sound was both aggravating and gross. Watching her do it intensified those feelings. The same thing would happen at the dinner table with my grandfather. He was a lip smacker. Listening to him eat anything juicy or greasy was a nightmare.
Now my father is a lip smacker like his father before him, especially when he’s eating fried chicken. My mother needs to suck her teeth for half an hour after a meal. Even though I love these people, I want to scream the worst profanities at them when they’re making these noises. That sounds awful, but it’s the truth.
The feelings these noises provoke are anxiousness, frustration and rage. It’s really a horrible feeling, because it makes a person feel out of control. The guilt for having these feelings is a little hard to swallow once the rage has passed. The fleeting thought of throwing a fork in the forehead of a loved one, simply because they’re smacking their lips or chewing, seems completely irrational any other time. When the sounds seem magnified, knocking the person out of the chair would logically give some relief. Of course, that would be an insane reaction. Leaving the room and getting away from the sound is the only way I find relief. Otherwise, I will glare at the individual until they look at me with fear in their eyes and realize I’m about to blow.
For me, it’s become so much more than clicking dentures, lip smacking or sucking teeth. It’s the sound of the crinkling potato chip bag or that weird noise people make in the back of their throats, for no reason at all. It’s the sound a loud swallower makes when they take a drink or the sound of silverware against a plate or bowl. It’s every possible mouth noise. Fingernail clipping makes me want to throw my fist through a wall. Tapping a pencil too long can be a trigger. When we had a dog, the licking….oh my God…the licking!
The older I get, the worse it has become. I’ve even gotten to a point of aggravation, when certain words are pronounced a certain way. Take the word “shrimp” for example. I have a client who says “srimp.” I have to try to change the subject or walk away every time she says it, because it annoys me so badly. Do you sriek every time you see srek? Probably not, so don’t skip out on that h. Another client says “and everything” at the end of nearly every sentence. She also smacks her lips constantly and she isn’t eating anything. I have to excuse myself and go to the bathroom to close my eyes and take deep breaths. She is a sweetheart, but the relief I feel when she’s out the door is euphoric.
Yes, I know I sound like a crazy bitch right about now.
After seeing several articles and posts about misophonia, I worry this is going to be the new trendy thing, like having a clown phobia or being introverted. This isn’t cool. This isn’t pleasant for anyone involved. It is a daily struggle. I hate feeling this way. This is not something that can be satisfied with an eye roll. When someone is crunching on potato chips, an Ally McBeal bowling ball to their face might be satisfying for a moment, but then the crunching continues.
What can you do if you live or work with someone who has misophonia? Whatever you do, don’t blow them off as if they’re being dramatic. Try to be understanding. If you’re eating something, then offer some to the person who’ll be annoyed by your chewing. Sometimes their own chewing will drown out the other noises. Pay attention. If you see jaws or fists clenching while you’re eating something, find out what is bothering them. If they’re choking a fork while glaring at you, put down whatever you’re eating and run like hell.
My son, who also has some issues with noises, puts his potato chips in a bowl, so I don’t have to hear the bag. He never clips his nails in front of me and most of the time, he eats his crunchy snacks in the other room. It’s the little things, that can prevent you from being on the receiving end of a misophonic rampage.
Holy Water in a Ketchup Bottle 