Disgusted by other people eating

[DisgustedGusto]

I know IABU but didn't know where else to post.

NC for this. And yes I know it's batty but I am not a troll.

For years now other people eating really disgusts me. I get really agitated if they eat with their mouths open, make a lot of noise any noise, scrap plates or cutlery, slurp, crunch etc. If they eat really slowly or take forever to chew a sweet for example or have any kind of weird eating behaviours. If I see their tongue and it's got food on it or there's food on their lips or around their mouth I get really tense, my toe curl, my lip curls, I want to vomit, slap them, cry, scream or just run away. It's a flight or fight kind of response. People licking ice creams makes me recoil at the ice cream on their tongue. Just talking or thinking about it causes this reaction too. It's got to the point I struggle to sit with my children at meal times. I can't bear to eat with my lovely mum anymore and I feel really awful about it. I've decided I'm going to have to avoid any social eating situations as today I had to leave a cafe as was totally freaked out. Food smells and appearance really make me feel sick too.

I'm otherwise pretty normal!

Anyone else experienced this and if so what did you find helps?

Two activities in a day is too much sometimes. But I am trying to desensetize myself with that flooding method.
We went to dinner o the South bank on Thursday and I if ores the kids rollerskating through the crowds. I breathed my way through dinner in wagamammaa it spent Friday feel I g like I had been run over. Then the zoo etc yesterday.
I might be in total isolation for the next 5 days

Don't talk to me about sniffing! Throat clearing, scritching feet, nails tapping on anything, rustling. Totally freaks me out.

He doesn't understand how close he is to getting butted by me sometimes. Specially if I am tired. It's constant.

lola - yes, I suppose strictly speaking I can do it, but I don't because I need to spend the 5 days lying down in a darkened room!

I do wonder why so many women, apparently, suffer from this, I've not heard of a man who does.

Presumably it is a learnt issue, maybe because girls are supposed to be quiet and supine in company?

It definitely sounds very mental but I don't think most people can identify with this. For one, I actually kinda like other people eating and the sounds they make during this activity. People munching popcorn in the cinema and slurping their coke, licking ice cream, crunching crisps is music to my ears. I also like the subtle clinking of cutlery on a plate. Hey, maybe I am weird too!

Like and dislike are different sides of the same coin, equally valid reactions to a stimulus. If you suggest those with an extreme dislike to eating are "very mental", then yes, you are equally so.

Or you could learn to understand that different reaction does not mean mental or weird, all it means is not the same as you.

I have hyperacusis and rely on white noise to lessen the noises that trigger me. But eating noises are something I cannot manage at all. If I get in a car and the person has boiled sweets, they mysteriously disappear before they get chance to have one

I get a generalised sensory overload at times, but not misophonia. Although this misokenisia does seem to describe something else. It has been suggested to me before that I could be on the spectrum some where, and I certainly feel DD is.

Even though she's 18, I think I want to help her pursue a diagnosis, because if she is, it's better knowing now and developing strategies to cope that be like me at 50 wondering how I managed to get through life at times. DD certainly has misophonia and it does mostly manifest when her anxiety is high.

It might be relevant that my DBro has two children who are diagnosed as being on the spectrum (and one with adhd as well).

Yes, I've had problems with other people's eating habits since childhood. I managed to overcome it to a certain extent when my daughter was small but trained her to eat with her mouth closed and quietly etc. Really struggle with other people's children. Fortunately my husband is the same as me. I couldn't have married a noisy messy eater.

Certain food smells make me ill, especially things like cheese and onion crisps! Hate aeroplanes! Hate it when people get food around their mouths and it stays there.

Can't understand why so many people are so noisy and eat with their mouths open when it is supposed be bad manners.

You are describing misophonia absolutely. There is support (I’ll find a link) & it is reasonably common. I actually feel an almost uncontrollable rage with the eating thing & it can affect day to day life. It is more common with people with other neuro-biological conditions (I have ADD for example), but it can and does stand alone.

The most common manifestation of misophonia is to do with other people’s eating sounds (don’t even go there with fucking Gary Linker crisp adverts!).

If you are struggling to sit with your DCs at mealtimes then I think you need to see your GP. They'll pick up on your discomfort, and could easily be a trigger for their own disordered eating.

www.misophonia.com/symptoms-triggers/

Oh, yes, sniffing. Aarrrrggghhhh!

Is there actually anyone who enjoys the sights and sounds of people eating though?

Seems a bit peculiar to post about something that is pretty universally gross to witness, and make a special point of saying you personally find it gross?

First on the list of common triggers:

Mouth and Eating: “ahhs” after drinking, burping, chewing, crunching (ice or other hard food), gulping, gum chewing and popping, kissing sounds, nail biting, silverware scraping teeth or a plate, slurping, sipping, licking, smacking, spitting, sucking (ice, etc.), swallowing, talking with food in mouth, tooth brushing, flossing, tooth sucking, lip smacking, wet mouth sounds, grinding teeth, throat clearing and jaw clicking.

(Sorry to any other sufferers there!).

shotsfired it isn’t just a (justifiable) and fairly universal dislike of bad mannered eating - it is actually a physical, painful, uncontrollable and almost overwhelming physical rage at the sound & directed towards the perpetrator (which is especially tricky if it is someone you love!) & could be felt about totally normal, well mannered eating. Plus is a recognised condition (not ‘just’ in our heads!)

Although I do wish ‘everyone’ realised how revolting open mouth eating was, would make my life easier!

Me and my DS both have this. I'm fine in big groups with lots of noise going on, but I can't sit with my DH at all in the evening as he drinks mugs of tea all night and I can't stand the slurping and gulping noises. Also hate it if he's eating sweets as I can hear them going round his mouth! I'm fine with normal meals and food, as can't hear it in the mouth for some reason. Don't know why it's my DH that seems to trigger it and I'm not so bad with other people.

My DS is also worse with the family, and not as bad with his friends or in groups.

ShotsFired - I dont know about "enjoy" but DP will happily eat in a crowded Pret or whatever and not even notice anyone else.

I just will not go in. I try my best not to ever have to eat at places like that.

there are many reasons I hate travel, but being surrounded by people eating in a confined space is one of them. Most of my family wouldn't even notice if someone was eating noisily.

my partner and a yoghurt sure isnt pretty.

Wow so many of us! I'm used to being made out to be a freak so it's lovely to know I'm not the only one and that it's not actually me that's weird. If I've read it right then it's a neurological disorder.

People eating apples is like hell on earth.

Gone to bed with a Valium
I use them in times of real need.
Feel like the last 4 days tick all the boxes.
I am going to check out the link and look for ways to manage this.
Thanks for this thread and allowing me to voice the stuff I thought only got to me.
Could we have a thread like the weight loss people and the DRY one?
Can we call it Shhhhhhh?
Somewhere to go when it's all a bit too noisy and fretful.

Some research

discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1540343/

It's the other term that's new to me. I hate wearing earplugs often though, easier to stay in quiet places!

X post Lola
Hope you feel better asap.

Quiet Corner. Misophonia thread #1http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/3287502-quiet-corner-misophonia-thread-1#78915922

New thread started just for us