Have you ever noticed that there are certain sounds that just really annoy you? The sound of someone chewing or popping their gum. Or just chewing loudly in general in some cases. What about pencil tapping? Or the irritating sound of an underlying bass that only you seem to be able to hear. Do those sounds make you highly irritable? How about enraged? Panicked, even?
Allow me to introduce to you a little semi-known condition called misophonia, also known as selective sound sensitivity syndrome. And yes, there really is such a thing as selective sound sensitivity syndrome. The literal definition of misophonia is hatred of sound, according to Misophonia.com. But not everyone who has misophonia hates all sounds.
Those of us who have misophonia are only sensitive to certain ‘trigger’ sounds. And everyone is different when it comes to those ‘trigger’ sounds. For me, it’s the underlying bass in music which sometimes only I seem capable of hearing. The biggest trigger that I have is the sound of someone chewing. Loudly. Food. Gum. Doesn’t matter. If I can hear you, just know that underneath the calm exterior is a woman who is fighting the uncontrollable desire to punch you in the face and make you swallow whatever it is you’re chewing and choke on it.
Research suggests that there are genetic factors that make a person more likely to develop misophonia, but it also doesn’t take long to develop a trigger. It could be something as simple as listening to your friend mindlessly chewing their gum and suddenly feeling this overwhelming urge to either run away or smack them. It could also be that your brother or sister made this annoying sound when you were younger, and now every time you hear that sound it triggers an emotional or physical response in you. That response could be anger, anxiety, irritation, etc.
That’s how misophonia works. When you hear your ‘trigger’ sound, it creates a physical and emotional response. For me, when I hear the sound of someone chewing their gum, I inwardly cringe and find that I tilt my head to the right, almost as if I’m leaning in to the sound when in reality I’m trying to get away from it. I also find that I clench my fists and every nerve in my body automatically fires. My hearing also intensifies and it’s as if my ears have locked in on that specific sound and it’s all I hear. No matter how loud the room is, I will only hear that specific sound.
And I hate it. No matter where I am, if I hear one of my 'trigger' sounds, I immediately have to get up and leave the room. If I don't, it drives me crazy. I feel as though I will lose my mind if the sound doesn't go away. And for some, their misophonia is so bad they can't go out in public for fear of hearing one of their 'triggers.' In fact, misophonia can be so bad for some that it can lead to anxiety, depression, and severe anger.Thankfully I'm not at that point yet. But for some people having misophonia can be debilitating.
If you are someone who has misophonia, there are some coping mechanisms available that can help, according to Allergic to Sound:
1) Always have a set of earphones or headphones on you
2) Try putting on background noise such as music, TV, etc.
3) Know your triggers - this will help lower your stress levels
4) Have an escape plan ready just in case!
"I have to pee" is always a good one.
"I'm going outside for some air."
"I'm getting a glass of (insert beverage here). Do you want one?" aka I hope you swallow whatever it is you're chewing and choke on it because it'll serve you right for annoying me
5) If the noises are bothering you at work, see if you find a quieter place to work
6) As hard it can be, try to avoid lashing out when you find you just can't take the sounds anymore
7) BREATHE
If you know someone who has misophonia, please DO NOT under any circumstances think it's funny to continue making the noises they politely ask you to stop making. We don't understand why we get irritated at certain sounds or why they cause us to have such an emotional and physical reaction. Continuing to piss us off isn't going to help the situation.
The best thing you can do for us is first, for the love of all that is good in this world STOP MAKING THAT ANNOYING SOUND and second, walk away and let us decompress and regroup. I promise we will all be much happier in the end!
