AIBU to stab my ear drums out with a letter opener?

[CoughItUpLove]

There is a woman in our open plan office and for at least a week now she has been continuously clearing her throat. I mean continuously, several times a minute we get eurmhm, cu-huh.

It is driving me crazy. I think at this point its a habit because she doesn't sound like she has a cold.

I don't want to say anything because I don't want to make her feel self conscious or uncomfortable but its all I can hear, I am now hyper focused on it. I have a strong aversion to wet noises at the best of times, they fill me with absolute rage but this is relentless.

I might have to get some headphones, I will look so strange sitting here with headphones on but I am going to have a breakdown otherwise.

WIBU to stab out my ear rums with my letter opener just to get some relief?

Buy her some cough sweets?

She doesn't have a cough, will they still help?

Mate, get headphones and play music

We aren't supposed to have headphones but I am going to just have to explain to my manager it's that or a padded cell, I am a woman on the edge.

I have misophonia. We have an open office. The woman next to me is continuously eating. And chomping like a bloody cow. I can understand if you have a piece of chocolate or something, but we're talking about full meals at her desk. Starting with bowl of cruncy cereal in the morning, crunch crunch. Then crudites for snack, chomp chomp. Full meals. All day, every day.

We have a perfectly fine cafeteria and common break areas, but apparently one can't sit at their desk without constant chewing.

Those ear loop things are very discreet..

It's probably a nervous tic. Hell for misophonics like me and probably you.
I had to sit next to a bloke who tic'd all day and felt like I was going insane together with the woman behind me typing away with false nails tappedy tap all day long at top speed.
Get headphones or you will explode.

@DecafDodger we had a woman who ate crisps in the loudest possible manner that I had to leave my desk and stretch my legs every day when she started. At least that was a short period.

I don't know how you cope all day!

Get some in ear wireless headphones and it won’t even be obvious you’re wearing them, especially if you wear your hair down. You can also get small, discreet in-ear ear plugs, I have adhd and wear them when I’m getting overstimulated by noise.

Get Loop earplugs, they drown out background noise. I can’t even stand a 25 minute train ride with someone sniffing, tapping etc, so you have done well to last a week!

@Gettingbysomehow I suspect misophonia but never been diagnosed so didn't want to say, it's tied into my ADHD I think.

It is definitely a nervous tic or habit, she doesn't have a cold, no coughing, she is talking fine, just constant throat clearing!

I will pop to Tesco after work and get some loop headphones, I had meetings most of last week so I wasn't subjected to it all day long it's only today sitting at my desk all morning that I have realised it's never going to end.

She might have an irritated throat due to hay fever. I would buy some cough sweets and offer her one. At least she will be made aware that you are bothered by it.
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I don't want her to be aware I am bothered by it, if she can't help it then she will feel uncomfortable, I don't want that, I know my lack of tolerance is my issue.

If you see someone on the news for assaulting a colleague with a job lot of soothers you know it's me!

I feel your pain. This used to drive me insane in primary school. Also my late fil had the most annoying throat clearing in the world. My husband goes through phases of doing it which makes me want to kill him

Loops for sure. I have terrible misophonia, only discovered the word in my 30s! Some noises cause murder thoughts though and this chewing beast sounds like one of them. Can you move desks?