Guest guest Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 Thank goodness for this group! I first heard the term misophonia today and a feeling of relief washed over me when I read that others suffered from the same " triggers. " I've grown up thinking I was crazy and have harbored a lot of guilt regarding my extreme responses to certain sounds. My mother used to call me " Jekyll and Hyde. " In general I am an easy going person who is described as " sweet, " " nice, " etc. However, certain sounds set me off and if I'm not able to escape the sound I feel an inner rage that scares me. The harder I try to calm down, the worse it gets. I start feeling panicky and trapped. Sometimes I am so scared that I may actually push or elbow a person inappropriately. The sounds include: People eating, foot steps, smacking gum, coughing, balls bouncing. In addition, visual stimuli such as foot shaking also sends me over the edge. I love life and want to enjoy to the fullest. However, I avoid eating with friends because the anxiety I feel around the noises outweighs the need for socialization. I take the train at times I know it won't be crowded and make sure I am sitting out of eyesight of others. If someone is walking behind me with their heels clicking, I run to the other side of the street. All of this has contributed to loneliness and depression as well as guilt and embarrassment. I have never shared this with anyone because it seems such an odd, unlikely, unbelievable thing. I am so thankful to have the space to share this with others and validate what I've been experiencing since adolescence. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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