Stop That! It's Driving Me Insane

When I was younger, I never really wondered why certain sounds were like nails on a chalkboard to me. They just bugged me. It was just that simple. One of the first sounds that I remember really irking me was one that, is no doubt a pet peeve of many others, people chewing with their mouths open.

As I got older, I soon realized it wasn't only that noise that irritated me, but also things like people crunching their popcorn in movie theatres. It got so bad that in order to fully enjoy myself at the movies, I had to bring and wear earplugs to drown out the crunching. It was either that or turn around and give them an icy stare mumbling under my breath for them to quit making so much noise. Slurping was also something that bugged me, and people who had runny noses and chose to "sniff" away the snot rather than blow their nose.

I soon found that these noises drove me absolutely insane and if the noises kept up, I would get angry and even more irritated - it was almost rage, panic, fear, terror and anger, all mixed together. I found if I didn't say anything, the rage would just build.

I soon found other sounds that irritated the heck out of me as well ... most harmless or just part of every day to day life to the “normal” person, but with me, it was like nails down a chalk board:
~ gum chewing & popping
~ silverware scraping teeth
~ loud breathing
~ snoring
~ people dragging their feet
~ repetitive foot or body movements (leg jiggling)
~ gulping of drinks

One day whilst reading the interwebs, I came across an article that someone posted, and it was like a lightbulb went on ... it was an article on Misophonia. I soon learned I really wasn't nutty like a fruitcake for feeling the way I did.

The term Misophonia was developed by an American neuroscientists Pawel Jastreboff and Margaret Jastreboff, during this period Dr. Marsha Johnson labeled this condition “Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome” to address the sub class of individuals that did not hate all sound but only particular sounds. She started an online support group which originally had 3,500+ members, and membership continues to grow. The condition has been called many things – Soft Sound Sensitivity Syndrome, SSSS, SSS, 4S, Hyperacusis, Phonophobia, Misophonia - but for those who suffer, the name is not important. Far more important is the knowledge that those who suffer are not alone – that an entire support network does exist and that research for a cure is being conducted.

The condition almost always begins in late childhood or early adolescence and worsens over time, often expanding to include more trigger sounds - yep sounded like me.

And now I know when I find myself gnashing my teeth, clenching my hands, wanting – needing – to scream with rage for what seems like no reason, except that someone nearby is popping their gum, dragging their feet when walking or gulping their drinks, I know nothing is “wrong” with me just because I feel such strong emotional responses to sounds others don’t even seem to hear.

And thankfully, I'm not alone =)

If you are interested, you can learn more about Misophonia here ... below I've listed just some of the triggers but I'm sure there are probably more that aren't listed as well.