Re: misery loves company

[Guest guest]

hi, all,

i have been " enjoying " reading all of your posts since i joined a couple of weeks ago.  it amazes and saddens me that there are so many of us out there.  daily life triggers seem to increase, and there is little you can do about most of them.  it sounds like many of you have a far more severe condition than i think i do, but when i read about your symptoms, i recognize myself.  not quite ready for the ear plugs yet.

my misophonia started probably about age 8, caused by my father's chewing habits.  this is the worst for me - people eating loudly or messily.  crunching and smacking is the worst, commercials that glorify this hoglike behavior drive me nuts, and i agree about theaters - popcorn, rustling of cellophane or purse contents, getting kicked or jostled in the seat.  airplanes are horrible as well - and you can add bad odors to the things that set me off:  bad breath, b.o., strong smelling food, too much (offensive) perfume.  i unfortunately take public transportation one day a week (BART) which has rules against eating but never enforces them.  seriously, the longest ride is not that much of a hardship to go without food.  

here's another food thing:  people who eat while on the phone with me!  i've really only had this happen with a few people, but one of them seemed to call me only when he was eating (mortgage broker) - polite, huh?

other issues:  itchy, itchy labels (and exactly why do they put those side ones above where your pants go?  that's some pretty sensitive skin!) and fabrics, constantly barking dogs (don't the people hear this???), whether the people are home or not.  screaming children.  screaming movie trailers (this is a trend, with women bonding and inevitably shrieking in joy).  there is just no excuse.  cars that make a loudly audible beep or honk when locked and unlocked (you can make that stop by changing settings!).  car alarms.

i may have left something out, but that is a pretty inclusive list.

the worst development is that i seem to be becoming a pretty serious germophobe.  understandable if you read the news and see all the items about e coli on every surface and bedbugs.  

so it seems that all of us are super considerate to others because of how these things really get to us.  it's too bad that everybody else is clueless, and that common courtesy seems to be getting lost in the shuffle of too many people, too many less educated people, and a lot of people who seem to think the world revolves around just them.

thanks for letting me rant!  that felt pretty good.Jean