The torment of Misophoniacs

[Analogous]

The torment of misophoniacs: The wild science of people who hate the sound of chewing

Misophonia can ruin friendships and cause rifts in even the closest relationships. But the science behind this condition is stranger than you think.

www.inverse.com

 

[arj]

Interesting. I wonder if this is a New disorder due to the collective lowering to our levels of tolerance on almost anything or is this a real issue !

 

[Analogous]

I think it’s a fairly recent recognition of this condition.

The squeaking of chalk on the black board at school has left a lasting impression (very irritating ; only a few teachers could do this). Squeaky windshield wipers is a current irritant. My wife seems oblivious to this horror.

The audio system in the neighbourhood pub is atrocious. But I guess that might be because it’s just badly set up and their choice of music. But again hordes of people seem oblivious and even enjoy it. I am wondering if this could be my because of my personal preferences in music or audio quality or misophonia.

 

[arj]

I think it’s a fairly recent recognition of this condition.

The squeaking of chalk on the black board at school has left a lasting impression (very irritating ; only a few teachers could do this). Squeaky windshield wipers is a current irritant. My wife seems oblivious to this horror.

The audio system in the neighbourhood pub is atrocious. But I guess that might be because it’s just badly set up and their choice of music. But again hordes of people seem oblivious and even enjoy it. I am wondering if this could be my because of my personal preferences in music or audio quality or misophonia.

Maybe there is a true disorder, but the risk is it gets dumbed down and minor irritations can also get mis labelled.
eg ADHD has such a loose usage these days ! Looking at how some parents walk around eggshells, I wonder if the old "Kaan ke neeche Bajaana" solution might have been more effective

 

[Naturelover]

Add fingernails on blackboards or glass to squeaking of chalk.
I have always cringed at these sounds which don't seem to bother most people.

 

[Analogous]

I think it’s a fine line when a condition can be diagnosed as a “disorder”
Broadly we start thinking “clinical disorder” if it interferes with the normal day to day lives of the individual or those around them.
We amusingly tend to consider many obsessions as “idiosyncrasies” till it seriously impacts lives.
It’s all very subjective, I think.
Many Behaviours and attitudes that we tolerate in our society are considered unacceptable in others.
Culture and shifting social norms play a big part in defining these too.

Add fingernails on blackboards or glass to squeaking of chalk.
I have always cringed at these sounds which don't seem to bother most people.

Maybe this is why we pay so much attention to auditory fatigue and prefer slightly rolled of treble!

 

[fLUX]

Interesting. I wonder if this is a New disorder due to the collective lowering to our levels of tolerance on almost anything or is this a real issue !

I think it’s a fine line when a condition can be diagnosed as a “disorder”
Broadly we start thinking “clinical disorder” if it interferes with the normal day to day lives of the individual or those around them.
We amusingly tend to consider many obsessions as “idiosyncrasies” till it seriously impacts lives.
It’s all very subjective, I think.
Many Behaviours and attitudes that we tolerate in our society are considered unacceptable in others.
Culture and shifting social norms play a big part in defining these too.


Maybe this is why we pay so much attention to auditory fatigue and prefer slightly rolled of treble!

I dont think its related to level of tolerance, some particular noise induce anxiety and a repulsive feeling. I have that when someone scratches the bed with their finger nails, sound of sketch pens with not so fine tip.

 

[liverpool_for_life]

I think it’s a fine line when a condition can be diagnosed as a “disorder”

Re. misophonia, from the link you'd posted:

There is a spectrum in terms of the severity of people’s experiences with misophonia, says Jane Gregory, a Clinical Psychologist and Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oxford.

At the lower end, people find certain sounds irritating but manageable.

“At the more severe end of the spectrum, we have misophonia as a disorder, which causes significant distress and impairment in work, study and relationships,” Gregory says.

 

[Analogous]

I dont think its related to level of tolerance, some particular noise induce anxiety and a repulsive feeling. I have that when someone scratches the bed with their finger nails, sound of sketch pens with not so fine tip.

Yes, but these are rare events and probably will not be severe enough to disrupt our lives or compel us to seek help?
We tolerate them because these events are brief and sporadic, even if they are uncomfortable or distressing to us. Others around us are not too worried unless we exhibit worrisome behaviour caused by these sounds.

 

[square_wave]

I never had a problem with normal life sounds. But I cringe when I hear a loud cacophony of traffic sounds. Horns especially. Therefore, I have always lived in places far away from streets that have a busy thoroughfare. This is a real problem for me.

I have also noticed that I have a problem with distorted sound especially when I hear music / sound from inbuilt speakers in devices like mobile phone, laptop and thin televisions. They seem to be only able to reproduce a certain frequency range and with a lot of distortion. It can really get on my nerves.

 

[Hari Iyer]

I get bugged by the sound of leaking water from tap and can't tolerate that no matter how feeble the noise is. It can also cause me sleepless nights.

 

[moktan]

 

[aeroash]

Most people can recall a time when a certain sound annoyed them -- say when your office mate was repeatedly clicking his pen -- but some people find such sounds utterly unbearable. And new research suggests that brain abnormalities may explain why.

People with a disorder called Misophonia have an intense hatred of specific sounds, such as chewing, breathing, or repeated pen clicking. These triggers can cause an immediate and strong "fight or flight" response in those with the disorder.

Similarly, people with misophonia also say they often react to the visual stimuli that accompany sounds, and may also respond intensely to repetitive motions. Researchers believe that those with misophonia may already have issues with how their brains filter sounds and that one of the features of “misophonic sounds” maybe their repetitive noise. That repetition then exacerbates the other auditory processing problems.

The disorder appears to range from mild to severe. Individuals report a range of physiologic and emotional responses, with accompanying cognitions. If you have a mild reaction, you might feel:

• Anxious
• Uncomfortable
• The urge to flee
• Disgust

If your response is more severe, the sound in question might cause:

• Rage
• Anger
• Hatred
• Panic
• Fear
• Emotional distress

The disorder can put a cramp in your social life. Those with misophonia have been known to develop anticipatory anxiety when going into situations where trigger sounds may be present. You might avoid restaurants or eat separately from your spouse, family, or roommates.

Over time, you may also respond to visual triggers, too. Seeing something that you know may create the offending sound may elicit a response.


There's another sound sensitivity condition called Hyperacusis.

Hyperacusis is a hearing disorder that makes it hard to deal with everyday sounds. You might also hear it called sound or noise sensitivity. If you have it, certain sounds may seem unbearably loud even though people around you don't seem to notice them.

This can have a significant impact on many aspects of a person’s life. It can disrupt a person’s career, dismantle their social life, and perhaps even rattle their peace of mind. High-pitched noises like alarms, babies crying, and glass breaking can cause pain and anxiety.

This is quite distressing, and I have highly sensitive ears. I'm easily irritated or distressed by certain sounds, such as the barking of the dogs, loud voices, screeching/squeaking of the squirrels, repetitive insect sounds. etc. which induces anxiety. It is borderline torturous. Noise-canceling devices don't help as much. I found an interesting product here, Flare Audio Calmer. They seem to have decent reviews, but reviews on Amazon should always be taken with a grain of salt. has anyone tried anything similar? How do you deal with noise sensitivity issues? Please share your experiences.

 

[aeroash]

I'm sorry, I wasn't aware of the existence of this thread. I had posted the above earlier on a separate thread. I'm glad the mods have combined the threads.

 

[ssf]

Ok, now I think I know what is wrong with my wife. Just today, when Bee gees were playing at moderate volumes, she came after me with a broom.

 

[keith_correa]

Ok, now I think I know what is wrong with my wife. Just today, when Bee gees were playing at moderate volumes, she came after me with a broom.

The "disorder" is with you. Who plays the Bee Gees at moderate volume? Any "music" of theirs should be played at barely audible levels. Even that may be too loud!!!

 

[coaltrain]

The "disorder" is with you. Who plays the Bee Gees at moderate volume? Any "music" of theirs should be played at barely audible levels. Even that may be too loud!!!

Request the Mods to kindly ban this FM for #BeeGeeBashing!

Truth be told, The Bee Gees taught me the meaning of ‘guilty pleasure’!
To this day, I think twice before reaching for my well worn copy of Saturday Night Fever. Then, twenty seconds into ‘Stayin’ Alive’, I find myself lunging for the volume control and cranking it up to 11. I know I’m carbon dating myself, but my love for them runs deep

 

[aeroash]

I have also noticed that I have a problem with distorted sound especially when I hear music / sound from inbuilt speakers in devices like mobile phone, laptop and thin televisions. They seem to be only able to reproduce a certain frequency range and with a lot of distortion. It can really get on my nerves.

This gets to me every time. I remember traveling by busses and taxi cabs that had these really bad speakers, that reproduced only high frequencies (or those are the only frequencies that cut through), that sounded shrill, harsh; and to add to the woes it always used to be a Bollywood classic with a high-pitched female vocal that wailed and cried, with a backing electronic keyboard or harmonium. For some reason, these pedestrian speakers always had a chrome dust cap on them. The experience was so traumatic that even to this day the sight of chrome dust caps brings about a phantom pain in my head. Because of this experience I now automatically associate any speaker with a chrome dust cap as shrill!

The distortion from the speakers was either because the speakers or the amp was underpowered, and they cranked it to the MAX! I fail to understand how people are not able to hear this aching distortion. My theory is that they are so concentrated on the lyrics that nothing else matters, (no Metallica puns here )

The "disorder" is with you. Who plays the Bee Gees at moderate volume? Any "music" of theirs should be played at barely audible levels. Even that may be too loud!!!

The three of them harmonizing from their nostrils can be heard even at the lowest volume setting. The only way to stop them is to destroy your speakers. Even then, from the corner of the tweeter, you could hear .... Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive

Request the Mods to kindly ban this FM for #BeeGeeBashing!

Truth be told, The Bee Gees taught me the meaning of ‘guilty pleasure’!
To this day, I think twice before reaching for my well worn copy of Saturday Night Fever. Then, twenty seconds into ‘Stayin’ Alive’, I find myself lunging for the volume control and cranking it up to 11. I know I’m carbon dating myself, but my love for them runs deep

In a lighter vein, the Bee Gees remind me of Janice, from Friends.

https://soundcloud.com/user-291143418%2Fbee-gees-janice

 

[Sean de Silva]

highly sensitive to and abhor electric drills, stone cutting machines, robotic demolition machines, hammers, racer bikes & cars, modified silencers, incessant honking, doors shut violently, old auto rickshaws with noisy engines, empty utensils dropped on floor, sutli bomb, two-legged shrews

 

[Nitin K]

Shrill car/autorickshaw honking, pneumatic drilling on roads, glass/marble cutting, songs playing from mobile phone speakers, political cacophony on news channels & modified bike/car silencers