Explaining Selectiveness to Family and Friends

[Guest guest]

I have tried explaining my symptoms to my family for years. But because my

symptoms are " inconsistent " or " selective " , they feel that it is not a real

problem, as if I can choose to turn it on or off. Some days a trigger will send

me through the roof, other days I have enough control to leave the room. And the

fact that I don't bother myself when I eat only adds to their misunderstanding

(eating and all associated sounds is my biggest trigger). Does anyone else have

a hard time explaining that it is selective? To my family and friends, selective

implies a choice on my end, this is certainly not the case.