Misophonia; sufferers, is it gender-specific?

33% Normal
5 Comments

Mesophonia, it is described as "the hatred of sound". For sufferers', like myself, this means you feel intense rage/anger when hearing sounds such as gum chewing, tapping, chewing with mouth open, lip smacking, sneezing, coughing, typing, anything that usually is in a form of repetition.

For people like myself who endure the unpleasant reactions to these sounds, it's much more than a simple annoyance. One feels intense rushes of rage (to the point of tears, slamming things) as well as NEEDING to leave a room, to avoid the noise/person making the noise. Because the rage experienced is so uncontrollable.
I've struggled with this for years and unfortunately there is not a lot of reasons or known cause, why people like myself and others react/feel this way. It's incredibly hard to live with, especially if you live around a handful of people who bring out a reaction multiple times a day. Dinner, "family" nights, gatherings can be almost impossible and intentionally avoided, for fear and having to endure sounds you have such disdain for; being a constant plague, ruining an outing/little things, like dinner. Struggling to avoid a sound is incredibly difficult to cope with as well.

Basically I'm trying to figure out/further study the "type" of reactions and the specific type of person that causes the reaction. As I've noticed a pattern, personally. Other Mesophonia sufferers' explain a lot of similar traits; it's mostly people closest to us who cause the most intense reactions and a lot, it is gender-specific.

If you experience this yourself, as well, who causes the worst reaction? Do you also find a specific gender or type of person, brings out the worst?
I know the rage can't be normal. But it cannot be subdued.
is it normal I fear I cannot live around other people for too long? Also, if you relate, if possible, leave a response with your experience.

Voting Results
33% Normal
Based on 18 votes (6 yes)
Help us keep this site organized and clean. Thanks!
[ Report Post ]
Comments ( 5 )
  • Shrunk
    10 years ago

    I've never know anyone like this, other than my sister but it's not for the sounds you've described, it's more musical related things, and repeating noises. She just gets really angry and leaves the room, making noises/yelling to cover it. I always thought it was something to do with autism, as she seemed to have symptoms of that as well, but this misophonia seems to describe it... interesting.. I don't think it's any certain person causes the reaction for her, just the same types of noises regardless of who's making them. Such as in movies/tv shows the same as if in person.

    I do wonder, though, if it has to do with the fact that other people can hear the noises as well. For example, I send her some of the same videos that cause the reaction, over skype so she can listen in headphones alone in her room, and she doesn't seem to have a problem with them that way (i'm sure it still annoys her but it seems like she still watches them instead of getting mad). and some noises that normally annoy her don't seem to matter when it's just me there.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
    0
    0
      -
    • Anonymous Post Author
      10 years ago

      It sounds like she struggles with it, as well. The rage people with Mesophonia feel is unbearable. Some have minor forms, until it can progress into full blown Mesophonia, which started when I was a teenager and now progressed into a more uncontrollable monster. It usually pertains to sounds like tapping/typing/chewing/lip smacking -- repetitive and constant sounds, nagging sounds that others don't notice, or really care if they do notice. I find my best friend is always confused as to what is bothering me, until she looks around a finds someone eating/chewing gum. It sounds like she may have it. Although the symptoms become evident to people closest, because the anger exhibited seems ridiculous to some. If she can hear the sound and not be bothered, in a controlled situation, it luckily may not be Mesophonia; As we CANNOT, under any circumstance, be around or hear what we have disdain for, it's incredibly enraging.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
      0
      0
        -
      • Shrunk
        10 years ago

        Hmm, I didn't know it was enraging, I thought it just made her embarrassed or something. Then again, she gets angry over just about anything, so maybe i don't notice it anymore... She has a similar reaction if I ask her about these certain things, she will just get mad and yell at me while i'm trying to explain/ask her about it.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
        0
        0
  • [Old Memory]
    10 years ago

    Interesting.

    Since it's common for toddlers to react in a similar way when faced with an unwanted situation, that might be a good age to start looking for clues that formed "misophonia" in people. So far, the excessive intolerance of bodily sounds has been trace back only as far as the early teens. But that's also a time when people leave their childhood expectations and reactions behind, so it makes sense that it would become most noticeable then and might even seem like a developmental delay, even though it's not. Just because it was first observed then, doesn't mean it originates during the teenage years.

    Misophonia has been compared with synesthesia. I have synesthesia and I recall having those thought patterns as early as seven years of age, when my comprehension of numbers was developing and I formed schemas about them.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
    0
    0
      -
    • Anonymous Post Author
      10 years ago

      I have dealt with it since age 13-14, until now, so over 10yrs--it only seems to get worse; regarding the intense anger/hatred for specific sounds. With me, I'm noticing a pattern pertaining to the type of person who brings out the worst reactions. So hopefully I can find someone who understands and has similar input, so I can better understand. Also yes, as you get older, being more aware of your surroundings, that makes it harder. I hate being so enraged, constantly.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
      0
      0