Misophonia, anybody?

Not sure if there's already been a thread about this, but does anyone here have trouble coping with certain sounds? I can't stand the sound of chewing. It distresses me to the point where I want to cry, scream, or punch somebody, and it's been torturing me for about 15 years, now (I'm 24). My poor boyfriend has to deal with my filthy looks and inability to share a meal in the same room as him. I feel awful, but it really does send me into fight or flight mode. Other sounds that set me off are screaming toddlers/babies, sniffling, clicking of pens, leaky taps, loud breathing (especially through the mouth), and snoring. Chewing and slurping is by far the worst for me, though.
I've never thought to prioritize this as a mental health issue, as I've been struggling with MDD, GAD, and a history of childhood trauma for almost 10 years, but sometimes it really feels like my sensitivity to sound is one of the most difficult things I'm ever going to deal with because it can't be toned down (pardon the pun).
Just wondering if anybody has personal experience with musophonia and comorbodity with other psychiatric disorders? Surely there must be some reason some people are triggered into crazy-town, and others not?
Help me out, guys!

Hello & Welcome, Louemz.
YES.

Some earlier PsychCentral forum threads on misophonia/4S or touching on the subject:
Misophonia
Is this misophonia? Im not sure what it is
Misophonia
Misophonia?
noise anxiety? - Forums at Psych Central
Noises triggering anxiety
Misophonia

I think misophonia itself is usually understood as a neurological phenomenon, but I'm sure there's overlap with MI issues.

Also, hyperacusis, which can have similar effects, is a different problem.

Thanks a bunch for the reply, Rohag! Sorry you're also a fellow sufferer of this. I'll check out your links!
Thanks again!

Yes I have misophonia and sever tinnitus. Iv'e been suffering for more than 20 years. And I just joined this site and discovered but always had a feeling that I have OCD and PSTD,Ra, and drug addition and I blame most of my problems on the sexual abuse when I was a child. But any ways back to misophonia it suck's. I barely leave the house anymore. THe ringing from my tinnitus is one of my worst triggers and my ears ring 75% of the time. I'm in a **** mood most of the time. I'm getting real tired of all my issues. And right now there's a mouse in the ceiling chewing on God know's what. So I going to get out my biggest drill bit and drill a hole and then I'm going to get a coat hanger and ram it in the hole until the mouse stops making that noise. Or I will shut down my pc and leave the room. I ****ing hate it I'm always alone because of it

i have tinnittis too, with the schitzophrenia too. i think that causes my distress of any noise but music, i hate any sound especially my stupid dog which i can't deal with the barking sometimes. my husband loves this dog but hes a beagle and never shuts up i feel like i could just kill him, not literally but it is debilitating for me. music does help and i have it on all day long on the radio when not watching tv. i hope you feel better soon.

Good site for explanation, ideas on what might help and support: Misophonia Online

Yes. Mine is radios playing on peoples phones. It has really become an issue with me because several people at work do this and they don't use earbuds because they need to hear the intercom.

It definitely triggers a fight or flight response for me. And since I'm at work and can't flee so I feel aggressive. My head tingles and I can feel adrenaline race through my body preparing me to fight. I went to my regular medical dr and he said that could be a panic attack? I always thought panic attacks made you feel like you were dying.

For me I think it is fueled by thoughts of how inconsiderate and rude people are to contribute to noise on top of noise on top of noise..... I don't want to hear what they are playing even if it is music I like; because I am at work at there are other things I need to be listening too- it is distracting. A lot of noise in general increases my anxiety.

My dr put me on Klonopin, to take in the morning, to get me through my work day. This has helped quite a bit. My head still will tingle when I get frustrated but I can think it through and not feel the anger. Before.... not being able to do anything about it- I had some wits about me to bite my tongue to refrain from saying something horrible to someone and also to actually not fight (which is something I've never done I've mainly been a very shy passive person). But man, I was having violent thoughts toward these people. Anyway, I guess all that adrenaline had to be released some way and I would just have a melt down and cry... it was humiliating. Then the crying and making a scene at work would trigger bad thoughts toward myself and then my depression would kick in.

I'm not sure if what I have is misophonia. Or if I'm just an sensitive person that reacts this way due to over-stimulation... and then I'm letting my thoughts snowball about inconsiderate people and the injustice of it all. It sounds like a lot of you have it a lot worse and my heart really goes out to you. It is a really hard thing to deal with. I've never tried to explain it to someone who was prompting it out of fear that I would not be taken seriously.

I have the same issues, misophonia and severe tinnitus. It really does suck beyond description. ((hugs))

I'm very sensitive to noise, too. Kids being nosy, squeaky doors, people that pop their bubble gum every few seconds....and many other noises. It's hard.

i am also sensitive to noise. i have high frequency sensorineural hearing loss which apparently can cause a person to have sensitivity to sound as well. it has been confusing for me because i also have anxiety disorders (social anxiety, OCD tendencies, generalized anxiety) and PTSD/dissociative episodes. but i also have tinnitus which i only hear when it's silent.

but i do not do well with the sound of traffic, loud music or TV, hearing footsteps above, dogs close by barking, and anything in excess. i think it's is all very connected, but it chronic/constant noise even just small noises can cause me to become very angry, anxious, etc.

i hear things others don't too like vibrations, especially at night, like electricity or things in the walls at times, etc. or the house shakes (from nearby traffic). some days, i am more sensitive than others, but it really can affect me. i have had trouble sleeping a lot due to noise. i am scared to sleep with ear plugs to block noise in case an emergency happens but then i hear a lot of things in general that wake me up too....so it all is this horrible cycle

I relate to this so much :/ chewing, sniffling, and people walking so they scrape the pavement with their shoes (weird I know) are my top problems, but ANY disruptive noise like clicking pens or tapping feet or loud unexpected noise can set it off. the pure rage/anxiety this sets off for me is like none other... I'm sorry all of you have to deal with this hell too I play music loudly in my earbuds or wear earplugs in class to minimize the sound I have to hear, but if you guys have any tips I would love to hear... there just isn't much I can do to avoid these noises and live normally :hugs for all of you: (if that's okay)

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Wait this is a THING? I'm so glad to know I'm not alone. Using your foot to move things around the floor makes me want to kill someone. any sound repeated over and over - a noise, clapping etc. I mean I get it's probably annoying to many people but it's MORE than that. I want to run out into the street and into the path of a car. I will have to mention this to pdoc. I didn't know it was anything.

Wow, did not realize how many people responded to this post. Thank you all for sharing your stories with me. Right now I'm doing my best not to flip out at the person sitting on the bus in front of me smacking gum. Not his fault...but if I could glue his jaw shut...

Unbelievable. Googled something about hating a particular noise, ended up reading articles about misophonia. **BINGO**

Thought, "Eh, with...I'll search it on psychcentral's forums" and lo and behold...

Sitting in my bedroom now with the A/C on trying to calm down from having dinner in a restaurant with too loud music, people talking too loud, trying to focus on my friends conversation. I feel sick to my stomach from the fight or flight response that I was trying to keep a hold of the entire time we were in there.

I'm beginning to think my brain chemistry is a grade A botched job.

It's awful isn't it And something that's almost impossible for other people to understand. Why, brain chemistry? WHY????

I would have to say that the numerous uno thing that makes me go from being ok to HIGHLY HIGHLY IRRITATED in seconds flat is babies crying.
I.can't.stand.that.

Been doing some reading about Sensory Processing Disorder. I don't think I have most of what I read as far as the symptoms of it. But there are a smaller chunk that had my name written all over them.

Knowledge is not always a great thing maybe. I just don't know anymore. I'm so totally fed up.

Sounds like misophonia to me. Typically it's human noises that trigger it.
And man, do I feel for you concerning screaming babies. Hearing even the faintest wail somewhere off in the distance makes me feel both extremely annoyed and kinda distressed.
It's a real shame that this phenomenon hasn't been explored much. If I got any hint that they'll be conducting studies in my vicinity I would sign up faster than the speed of sound.

Same. I cannot function around certain sounds. I can't eat without earphones or the volume up to 50. It triggers so much anger and bad thoughts in me, it sucks. My parents always assume I'm being rude, they don't understand.

here here. Me, too. Although, I don't know.....I'd probably have to be put in restraints before they started testing. LOL.

Ah, honey, if my own eating drove me crazy it would be unimaginable. I love to eat a yummy...whatever!

I [hate] hearing people burp. It makes me anxious! You guys aren't alone on this one!

So odd you should say that. It made me realize that when my sister, usually a very proper person, lets out a loud belch (only within the family - never in "the public eye") I've always internally reacted with feelings of sheer horror. I wonder now that it might actually be due to the sound rather than it being an offensive act I'm not used to from her....hmmmm.....

I can't stand certain repetitious noises. Someone tapping a pen, or drumming their fingernails on a table, a phone ringing non-stop (even if it happens in a movie), yet certain other noises that are repetitious don't bother me. The sound of my fish tank filters don't bother me a bit. I find them comforting. If someone honks a car horn more than once, waiting for someone to come out of a house on my street, it infuriates me. Sometimes, even if a car drives down our dirt road, it irritates me to the point of anger. And bagpipes--they drive me insane! My mother was the same way, so I'm sure it must be inherited.

I think you're onto something with the inherited part...or at least some sort of conditioning. My mother used to always tell me and my siblings to "stop slurping" at meal times and I really think it has somehow contributed to the absolute nightmare that is my brain when I hear other people chewing.

I am very sensitive to sound, when I was little me and my grandma would set off fireworks, I had to watch from the house. Considering if I was outside I would have freaked out. Also when people drag their nails across tables or walls. This absolutely drives me nuts.

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