Misophonia and alcohol?

[doorornottodoor]

Anyone relate to this?

I am really sensitive to noise and find some noises very hard to cope with.

I’ve not had a drink for nearly 2 years but I still struggle especially in noisy situations. I think I used alcohol to dull my reactions to noise.

I’d bf interested to hear if anyone else who is similar… I’m thinking of maybe CBT to help.

I’m away on holiday at the moment and struggling with the not drinking. It’s definitely the noise (music, loud voices ) that’s triggering me.

I can relate. Can you get some of those little in-ear noise cancelling things? I've considered them but not bought any yet. The other strategy I have is to be glad I've recognised my sensory triggers and allow myself breaks out of a situation (or to avoid it altogether if it feels too much) could you do the same?

Yes I really struggle with noises & wanted to look into getting help! As noises that people make makes me want to loose my s**t!! Especially eating!! But any repetitive noise gets on my nerves!! My friends avoid eating around me as it puts me in a bad mood!!

Autism?

Thanks! I wondered if anyone found themselves drinking to help? I think this is definitely what I’ve been doing. I don’t think I’m autistic @mnetting but I maybe have some traits - sensory issues, hyper focus… but no issues with relationships/empathy

@doorornottodoor

Thanks! I wondered if anyone found themselves drinking to help? I think this is definitely what I’ve been doing. I don’t think I’m autistic *@mnetting* but I maybe have some traits - sensory issues, hyper focus… but no issues with relationships/empathy

In case it makes things clearer, there are no issues with empathy with me or my son. In fact we have more empathy rather than less. Also I'm in my 40s and no relationship issues other than I have put up with terrible treatment in the past. My son is diagnosed with autism and I'm undiagnosed

Thanks @timetowakeup580 can I ask why you think you might be, if you’re undiagnosed? My brother has definite traits.

I'll write you a proper reply tomorrow, sorry just had a hectic day

I’m autistic (and quite empathetic ) and have misophonia, and have definitely used alcohol to dull the sensory assaults of the world. It only works for the initial ‘happy feeling’ bit of drinking, though (the first drink or two) - by the third or fourth drink, or as the first drinks are wearing off, if I’d stopped, it makes me even more noise sensitive. And hangovers… horrendous!

I’m alcohol free now, and it’s easier to cope with sounds without overreacting. I’ve just survived Xmas by putting headphones in to drown out blaring telly.

Sorry I didn’t mean to be offensive about the empathy! Those that are autistic or think you are, how did you know? I’m just wondering about myself….

@doorornottodoor I didn’t take offence, and it’s a commonly held misapprehension.

I saw the signs in my daughter (but assumed she couldn’t be autistic because she was affectionate/empathetic, could make eye contact and played imaginatively) and eventually read more about how it presents differently in girls. I got her assessed aged 10 and she was diagnosed with Asperger’s. It was during that process of educating myself and getting her assessed that I realised that all the signs I saw in her… I’d also had myself as a child! I was assessed a few years later; I was firmly rebuffed by the first GP I asked (because ‘there’s no point in adult diagnosis - it won’t make any difference to you’ ) but tried a better GP a year or two later and she referred me.

It was Tony Attwood’s book Asperger’s Syndrome which enlightened me; in particular the chapter on how it presents in girls.

@doorornottodoor the empathy thing, btw, is about cognitive vs affective empathy. There’s a good article here… journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1362361319883506

Thanks everyone. I will have a read of the article. Food for thought. I’m not sure I’d want a diagnosis to be honest. I lead a pretty full and happy life and I’m not sure what a diagnosis would bring me. I think I do have some traits and that’s fine. It’s interesting that I only work 4 days a week (I’m a teacher) and I need that day to decompress which would tie in with the masking. I may look into CBT for the misophonia . It’s funny how some noises are more annoying than others- it depends very much who is making them which makes me feel I should be able to control it better.

@doorornottodoor I’d be interested in your findings about helping your misophonia. My husband has this. He wears noise cancelling headphones in the house at morning coffee, and the radio or tv gets turned up most of the time when we’re eating. I have to eat crisps in secret !
I don’t think CBT would help him, as it’s an innate problem. For example he sat bolt upright one day whilst he was napping and I took the opportunity to have cheese on toast. The CBT may help if you need to learn how not to get wound up when you’re in the company of others in social situations though. He finds it tough to live with, but it’s not easy for me either tbh, as I can’t have a snack easily when I’m hungry.
He just can’t help it so we work with it, but the headphones help a lot at home.