Publicity

[Guest guest]

Public Exposure is an awesome plan. I have an idea - what do you

think of this:

I write to Dear Abby (I just did - see message below).

We wait for publication and then we ALL write to her ( " Hey! " I'm like

that too! " ) Also people who do not know about us will see it and

we'll get greater numbers and people who live with them will have

some hope too.

Someone else writes to some other public person who is in the same

type of position. Carloyn Hax, Marilyn Vos Savant, other " advice

columnists " from maybe teen magazines or whatver? More talk show

hosts, etc maybe even Dr. Schlessinger?

The one who writes lets us all know and will also alert the group

when it's time to jump in.

Maybe I'm being too macabre about this but my reasoning is this: I

think if some one person steps forward as a freak the publishing

public figure will respond to that one freak. If a bunch of us

appear at once it'll be apparent that we're doing it on purpose and

the novelty of the sdie-show is gone. Oh hell, I'm embarassed at

this already. At I'm sorry if anyone's upset or insulted at " freak " .

Did I ever mention that I am socially inept?

Dear Abby,

I admire your straight-forward answers and your ability to see things

from surprisingly clear perspectives. I am coming to you in

desperation for a way to inform people of my " affliction " . I know

you will think I am a freak (I think so too) but I become instantly

enraged at the sound of people eating or breathing or footsteps and

other sounds. The reaction I feel is absolutely powerful rage and

fear and is kind of a " fight or flight " response. I have been this

way since I was a child (I am now 49 years old). My husband is very

understanding and accomodating(eg: we eat meals in different rooms)

but I cover my ears while we watch TV together (I become distressed

at his breathing) - - - I think you can see how debilitating this

has been. I am coming to you because my husbands' family is coming

for an extended visit and since I no longer work outside the home I

cannot " run away " . I would like to tell them that I have this

problem but am unsure how to go about it: most people I have tried to

tell do not understand at all or worse they think it does not apply

to them and since I do not wish to embarass or expose myself or be a

nag, I just avoid them. I do not have many people in my life - it's

always been that way - I've gotten used to it. But I cannot choose

to avoid my husbands' family and would really like to try to make it

work. So how can I tell them in a way that will make them understand

that I cannot tolerate the sounds they make without offending them?

I really look forward to your helping me to come out of the closet

with my horrible " freak " secret.

Please sign me Quiet Please I need QUIET!!!