Grateful for this site

[Guest guest]

It started when I was around 9-10 years old. I couldn't stand the sound my

father made when he ate. It made me want to run! I started staying in my room

during meals, and my mom would say things like " Why don't you want to eat with

us? " and " Daddy feels so bad that he hardly ever sees you " . This made me feel so

helpless. I felt I was the only one in the WORLD going through this, and felt

like such a freak. I also suffered from dystonia starting around the same age.

Amazingly, in junior high and high school it didn't bother me to hear my friends

eat...well actually I didn't even NOTICE. So I thought it was something with my

father that I couldn't understand.

On special occasions like Thanksgiving, I'd join my family for dinner but I'd

sit as far away from my father as possible and put wads of tissue in my ears for

ear plugs (not knowing there 'was' such a thing as ear plugs)

Later, when I was older, I married. After about a year, my husbands eating

sounds, lip smacking, silverwear clinking against plates, etc. started bothering

me so much that I eventually went into a deep dark depression, and began

drinking heavily.

I couldn't stand the sound of my children chewing gum, and they and the rest of

the family couldn't understand why I wouldn't let them have gum. It bacame an

issue, and again the feelings of despair, helplessness overwhelmed me.

I felt I couldn't even see a psychiatrist because I was WAY too far beyond

anything they'd understand. I eventually divorced my husband. He had a live in

girlfriend a few years later; she held a big birthday party for one of my

children and put a huge pack of gum at each of their plates at the table. When I

saw the photos I cried, because I would have loved to be normal and done that

myself for my kids. I felt she did it to hurt me too, because my husbands family

thought I was wacko. (It didn't bother me when I myself chewed, or chewed gum,

strangely enough!)

I remarried years later and the same thing happened again...not immediately, but

about a year down the road, my husbands lipsmacking and chewing sounds drove me

so crazy I wanted to flee! I almost was suicidal over this a number of times.

Now I am 65. I am a widow and live alone. I would never want to put another man

through anything like what I put my husbands through.

When I saw the Today Show a few months ago about misophonia, it was like a ton

of bricks lifted off me. I wasn't alone!! I wasn't the only freak in the world

with this!! And when I found this site and read the posts, most of them sounded

like something I could have written myself!!! I am a Christian, and have prayed

for years to find out what caused me to be so sensitive and angry at the sounds

I heard. I feel my prayers have been answered. Now, living alone, I do feel

better and relieved that I'm not putting anyone else through what I put my

family and husbands and kids through.

I told my daughter about the show and she was compassionate and understanding,

and finally understood why mom didn't want the kids to have gum around me. (This

was the daughter my ex husbands girlfriend gave the gum at the birthday party.)

My ex husbands are passed away now, and I wish I'd found this site when they

were alive. I did try so hard to make my late husband understand. He tried and

tried, but it was very difficult for him.

Thank you to anyone who has read this! And I thank God for this site! †

[Guest guest]

That is a classic and sad story that many Misophonia suffers can identify with. I feel bad that living alone is the only way that you can be at peace and I can totally identify with that. It is so often the only way to avoid the suffering. I just could never handle the thought of living alone so chose not to. You're ex's new wife should have been tried and hung.. What a malicious, small person she must be. At least your kids can now understand. It may not be too late to get help for this problem. Things are changing for us so don't give up hope. And God Bless You!!Mike To: Soundsensitivity Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 9:44 AM Subject: Grateful for this site

It started when I was around 9-10 years old. I couldn't stand the sound my father made when he ate. It made me want to run! I started staying in my room during meals, and my mom would say things like "Why don't you want to eat with us?" and "Daddy feels so bad that he hardly ever sees you". This made me feel so helpless. I felt I was the only one in the WORLD going through this, and felt like such a freak. I also suffered from dystonia starting around the same age.

Amazingly, in junior high and high school it didn't bother me to hear my friends eat...well actually I didn't even NOTICE. So I thought it was something with my father that I couldn't understand.

On special occasions like Thanksgiving, I'd join my family for dinner but I'd sit as far away from my father as possible and put wads of tissue in my ears for ear plugs (not knowing there 'was' such a thing as ear plugs)

Later, when I was older, I married. After about a year, my husbands eating sounds, lip smacking, silverwear clinking against plates, etc. started bothering me so much that I eventually went into a deep dark depression, and began drinking heavily.

I couldn't stand the sound of my children chewing gum, and they and the rest of the family couldn't understand why I wouldn't let them have gum. It bacame an issue, and again the feelings of despair, helplessness overwhelmed me.

I felt I couldn't even see a psychiatrist because I was WAY too far beyond anything they'd understand. I eventually divorced my husband. He had a live in girlfriend a few years later; she held a big birthday party for one of my children and put a huge pack of gum at each of their plates at the table. When I saw the photos I cried, because I would have loved to be normal and done that myself for my kids. I felt she did it to hurt me too, because my husbands family thought I was wacko. (It didn't bother me when I myself chewed, or chewed gum, strangely enough!)

I remarried years later and the same thing happened again...not immediately, but about a year down the road, my husbands lipsmacking and chewing sounds drove me so crazy I wanted to flee! I almost was suicidal over this a number of times.

Now I am 65. I am a widow and live alone. I would never want to put another man through anything like what I put my husbands through.

When I saw the Today Show a few months ago about misophonia, it was like a ton of bricks lifted off me. I wasn't alone!! I wasn't the only freak in the world with this!! And when I found this site and read the posts, most of them sounded like something I could have written myself!!! I am a Christian, and have prayed for years to find out what caused me to be so sensitive and angry at the sounds I heard. I feel my prayers have been answered. Now, living alone, I do feel better and relieved that I'm not putting anyone else through what I put my family and husbands and kids through.

I told my daughter about the show and she was compassionate and understanding, and finally understood why mom didn't want the kids to have gum around me. (This was the daughter my ex husbands girlfriend gave the gum at the birthday party.) My ex husbands are passed away now, and I wish I'd found this site when they were alive. I did try so hard to make my late husband understand. He tried and tried, but it was very difficult for him.

Thank you to anyone who has read this! And I thank God for this site! †