It is time to escape.

[Guest guest]

As I have stated, I believe in a creator, God. I am a Christian in my choice of

best understanding of who that creator is. But I have no animus towards others

who hold other views, including atheism.

I don't believe dna has much, if anything to do with my misophonia. But that

doesn't mean that it isn't influenced by others in my family who had this

condition.

I think it is, for some reason, something that we focus on more than others

around us do, because we feel accountable to be mindful of what effect our own

behaviors are having on those around us. Boy Scout training: God first, others

second, me last.

But the world is not full of Boy Scouts. It has people who actually enjoy

irritating others. And it is loaded with people who are completely oblivious. I

get that.

I watched a youtube video by a misophonia sufferer who described being on a

crowded subway two feet away from a woman who kept making smacking sounds. But

she wasn't chewing gum, and she wasn't eating. And she was quiet, but for the

smacking sounds, which came on fairly consistent intervals, like the proverbial

water torture. Others noticed. He was filled with rage.

The Bible is replete with assurances that God's choice for us is peace. I won't

list them all, but Psalms 37:37 is a personal favorite: Mark the perfect

(complete, mature) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is

peace.

My son is two years younger than his sister. She was fearing a dentist visit,

when she was about 8 or 9, and he told her, " , it's only pain, it's only a

feeling. " It didn't help her, but there is something in what he said. And I

know of no other human who has his peace, and is harder to frustrate than he is.

Honestly, I do not expect a pill to fix our problem. But I think one of our

common traits is a higher than average need for control over our own person, and

what we must endure. I don't think we seek to control others, but we react

strongly to being controlled by others. And that is where my son's way of

thinking can help us if we can get his mindset. He would tell you that he

simply does not allow other people to gain control over his feelings by their

ignorance or their insensitivity to how ridiculous their performances are. To

him, getting angry gives control of his feelings over to an idiot. He just

doesn't allow it.

God's peace and my frustration are not compatible. He doesn't want this for me.

So I do not pray for a healing of my 'disease'. (Interesting word... dis ease)

I only seek to see these things the way he would see them if he were me. And

one method God uses is one we misophonia sufferers often use: escape.

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is

faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will

with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

There is no shame in escaping. I will be sitting in a different location in my

Sunday School class next Sunday. People will notice. Someone will ask, " Hey,

why did you change seats? I will tell them to read that verse.

Bob Hodo