Does everyone feel like this? Mysophonia?

[MaintainTheMolehill]

I always thought everyone was like this until DH said it's just me.
I cope fine with loud noises, concerts, shouting etc but if there are two loud noises or more at the same time, I can't cope and find I am panicky, agitated and angry.
For example if the TV is loud and someone is talking, I feel like this.

Does anyone else or AIBU?

Have you had your hearing checked?

Yes, the leg jiggling and foot waving, by the same people that insist on shovelling food in as if someone is going to steal it, as much as possible in one mouthful, chew once, loudly, and gulp, loudly to swallow, or chomp, chomp, chomp, then do something weird with the tongue and make a slurping sound.

If the TV is not set at a programme, anything, I don't care, to drown the noise out, I have to leave the room. Of course, trying to watch the TV while the foot is bouncing up and down in the side of my vision is no help either.

Me too. Conflicting noises push me over the edge, especially if my mental health isn't particularly good.

It's almost a physical pain and my brain just stops working so I can't function.

As far as I know I'm neuro typical but I've been wondering recently if actually I'm not but it's never been picked up on.

Oh, what a good thread. Me too, I find it so hard to concentrate with multiple noise sources happening. Having small children was torture, I used to go upstairs and cry just because of the noise levels (they never saw this).

I suspect I am ADD, I am definitely somewhere on the introverted scale, and always put it down to that. One thing is that it's getting noticeably worse as I age. I am perimenopausal now and Christmas with extended family has just about ended me. A decade ago it was manageable.

People are describing two different conditions on this post.
Misophonia, which is where people get irationally at certain sounds like lip smacking when eating, and auditory processing disorder which is common in ASD where you can’t process multiple sounds properly. I have the latter, and have to watch the tv with subtitles and get immensely stressed in loud restaurants etc.

Yes me, I find it difficult and get snappy

irrationally annoyed

To an extent I'm like this. My mum is hard of hearing so will have the TV on high then start talking and I actually feel quite anxious and frustrated. Good to know its quite common.

I can’t stand the sound of people dragging their feet over certain types of hard floor.

Dear GOD this irritates me. DD is particularly bad for it when wearing slippers. Scuff scuff scuff.

You are all my people. Loud competing noises make me feel anxious and angry. Sometimes I could claw at my own face, it winds me up that much. And I totally understand the rage/being unable to verbalise to say, "STOP!" Eldest child is autistic and I do sometimes wonder about myself. I've taken to buying foam earplugs from Amazon, you can get a big pack for a few pounds. It dulls the noise quite well.

Misophonia AND ASD here - the irrational rage from the misophonia gets worse with age, but luckily tinnitus takes over and deadens things a bit!

Also have other sensory disorders. Cannot STAND a flashing light - had to remove the smoke detector from my bedroom, have to put the toothbrush charger in the hallway.

Cannot STAND seeing someone rubbing their feet on a wooden table - EVEN IF I CAN'T HEAR the noise it makes.

Same with jiggling feet - and DH likes to move his toes in a way that I swear could be cited in divorce papers (his second toe is long and he rubs it over his big toe... arggghhh)

Thing is I KNOW these are all my problem. Does not stop "the rage"...

I don't have this, but I have friends who do. It's like they can't 'tune in' and 'tune out' to certain noises and everything comes in at the same volume to them. So they have difficulty in following conversations when lots of people are talking, and also doing things like following one instrument or voice in a piece of music.

Interestingly, or maybe not, I had a friend who had a bone conduction hearing aid after repeated ear infections, and one difficulty he found with it was whereas previously he had been able to tune in and tune out, now all the noises seemed to come in at the same volume.

I don't think it's the same as misophonia, though. As others have said, that seems to be hypersensitivity to a very specific set of sounds.

Also, on the flip side, I often get startled when someone interupts me at work. Because I've tuned everyone out, I'm apparently easy to creep on.

I have misphonia. I can't be around anyone who eats loudly. I get absolutely furious and have to leave the room. Could never ever date a loud chewer!

Another sufferer here!

I hate, hate, hate trying to have a conversation over the tv or radio. Interestingly I’m ok in a noisy pub or restaurant having a conversation.

I also struggle with repetitive noises like pen clicking or ticking clocks and don’t even get me started on noisy eaters

Oh and what the sweet fuck is up with people whose mouth makes a noise WHEN THEY OPEN IT??? Like before they've even taken a bite of food?? Animals.

@Namestranger 😂

Really interesting thread. I've had to leave a number of dinners/parties recently. I couldn't hear what was being said over the competing conversations and background music. Had to keep asking people to repeat what was being said and got more and more panicky and upset. I'm sure people thought I was drunk
I also can't shop anywhere there is loud music - I just shut down, lose my way. I once couldn't find my way out of a shop. I do everything online now!

I've had repeat ear infections over the last few years and was wondering about getting my hearing checked - is it worth that do you think or is it neurological?

I have a child with ASD.

Yes very much so. I get very stressed and anxious with to many noises. If I have TV on, DH has radio on in the kitchen and then DD comes down to play guitar in the same room I honestly cannot cope.

I find the open plan office at work quite stressful too. Too many conversations at the same time. And can't even use headphones as I have 2 direct reports sat either side of me who constantly need to ask questions.

I have left sided microtia with 100% hearing loss that side and have never been able to be in loud busy places - I cant distinguish where sounds are coming from and it is awful.

I have to turn the TV or radio on when we're eating, as I am very aware of "eating noises". All the chomping, chobbling, slurping, sucking, crunching noises put me right off!

I too dislike the cacophony that ensues when TV is on and everyone is talking over it, but it doesn't bother me as much as the eating noises do.

I'm also bothered by the sounds of people breathing. I cannot sleep in the same room as another person, unless I use earplugs and a white noise machine. Thankfully, DH and I have our own rooms at home, so I only have to endure the sleepless nights when we go to a hotel, which is hardly ever.

dont what it's called but I'm claiming mitigation for it when I murder the next person who watches stuff on their phone at the next table without earphones.

Greetings, friends 👋🏻
On the rare occasions when everyone is in our open plan office at the same time (big exporter, people often away on business) and my neighbour is on the phone and there’s 5 different loud conversations going on around me I go into meltdown. I get all jangly and upset and just can’t function.
Ditto when DH has the football on tv loudly then decides to watch a video on his phone (also loudly, so that he can hear it over the football) then decides to talk to me about said video... ahhhh i just can’t cope! Why must it all be on at the same time and why must it all be so fucking loud?
He thinks it’s me that can’t hear properly when I ask him to turn it all down so that I can actually hear what he’s saying and process it. So upsetting. He doesn’t get it.

I have misophonia and dyspraxia. It's just us OP

Non sufferers tend to think we are just not coping well with a minor irritation. They don't get that it literally triggers a fight or flight response.

I cannot stay in a room with noisy eaters. I have to leave the room/railway carriage/whatever. I am filled with absolute rage like I will have to kill them if they don't stop.

My adult DC get furious with me when I have to pause the TV if they want to talk to me. They cannot understand why I can't watch tv and have a conversation at the same time but I just can't.

Argh! This thread is making me twitch. I have severe misophonia. It's like my brain can't filter the sounds and becomes overloaded until I want to scream and cry. Suspected asd. I have to have music on if eating with people but I'd avoid eating in company if I could. Pencils on paper, the sound of scratchy socks. I have to go now, before I hyperventilate just thinking about it.

I know what you mean. MiL was visiting recently for some reason she likes to have the TV on loud in every room in the house even though she's not watching any of them (she doesn't like to walk in to a quiet room) then she'll put music on on top of all the existing noise and then also try to have a conversation!

Also loud eaters make me sooooo angry!