Misophonia

[Mental Fairy]

Just tested myself and went to supermarket, not done that in months. (I have delivery)

I got into the car park and opened the door, the music over the speakers was playing from the point of leaving the car to the point of getting back into the car after shopping.

Once I got in the car I noted my teeth were aching as I was clenching my teeth the entire time. Made zero eye contact with anyone, put my earbuds in but just knowing the music in the store was playing gave me feelings of frustration!

Then I saw it……one carton of eggs per trolly!

Currently in New Zealand we have an egg shortage as government won’t let eggs be sold unless they are free range. I kid you not we haven’t seen eggs for weeks. To see an egg carton was amazing! My anxiety lowered a little once I got my eggs and checked out!

So I may of had a testing experience, but I did get me some eggs!!!!! Whoop!

[snoringdog]

Music in the grocery stores is often obnoxious and too loud. I always try to have earplugs to dampen things a bit or listen to my own mp3 player. Eye contact is tiring too when you're wheeling carts around. Maybe in a community farmer's market, but not really in the aisles of the grocery. (I do always interact with the cashier though)

My sensitivity to noise manifests in a couple of ways -

Physical sensitivity (Hyperacusis) - Loud bangs or snaps, truck & bus airbrakes, other shrill noises are startling and sometimes painful.

Misophonia - This one is more mental, and not always a problem. It relates to my level of stress or fatigue, and my (presumed) lack of control to address to sources.

Leaf blowers, loud motorcycles, whistling (!), excessive barking, loud talking or conversations, especially desultory and "gossipy" ones when I'm trying to concentrate on something. All these don't need to be loud to be annoying.

Conversation fatigue - Sometimes I've just had enough in a group setting. The current dialog is basically finished and we're waiting for the next topic, or to just sit quietly.

But some people are just more vocal than others and seem less tolerant or needful of the quiet spaces between spoken thoughts. If they keep talking and it's often just "filler", I get antsy, and either try to find something meaningful to introduce, or try to extricate myself... It's a bit awkward....

[Mental Fairy]

100% agree

[snoringdog]

It's leaf blower season again! Noise in the neighborhood this morning.

I started to stress out about it, but I'm telling myself that the anxiety and annoyance is at least a partially learned-response, I'm not at its mercy, and that soon they'll be done.)

(It's especially annoying though when they zoom zoom zoom on the trigger instead of a steady drone).

[Mental Fairy]

Hi SD, I starting giggling when I was reading your post. Right now my body is vibrating with frustration as the neighbours are rebuilding a kitchen, there is no wind and it’s a clear day. They decided to park a trailer down the side of their house and throw word and scraps into the trailer. Every time I hear them dump into this trailer I feel anger at the noise it makes.

Plus it doesn’t help that I’m in a mood thanks to encounter with neighbour last night. Will post on my page soon.

[snoringdog]

So, I finally watched "Quiet Please" last night. (If you have access to Amazon Prime streaming in the US at least, it's currently free).

http://www.quietpleasefilm.com/

It consists of interviews with a number of sufferers. Very little in terms of treatment, but I think the film was made in 2017, and it was the first, along with a New York Times article to really bring the condition (and the term Misophonia) to public attention.

Some people suffer greatly, with disruptions to their family and social lives. It was obvious during the interviews how much stress they'd been under.

Searching around a bit, there is an uptick in studies and discussions, links below.

"The Motor Basis for Misophonia
https://www.jneurosci.org/content/41/26/5762

Assessment
https://misophoniainstitute.org/misophonia-test-do-you-have-misophonia/

Treatment
https://www.verywellmind.com/misophonia-treatment-4845902

Discussion
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24460-misophonia

May 2023 medical conference videos at Duke University
https://psychiatry.duke.edu/duke-center-misophonia-and-emotion-regulation/cmer-events/care-misophonia-conversations-about

Hope some of this is helpful.

[lutherangirl]

I've been lurking on this forum for quite some time now trying to find the answer to this annoying "radioactive" sound in my head. It feels like my head is spinning, but not the movement just the noise. When anything is running like a fan, tv, washer and dryer it intensifies that noise. I'm able to get to sleep for about four hours then it starts up. If I keep myself busy, I don't hear it. My therapist says it's my OCD and anxiety causing it. It drove me to wanting to kill myself and ended up hospitalized twice.

The closest story I've heard about was a gentleman by the name of Matthew Rosenburg who suffered with severe OCD that makes him feels like he can't breathe. He has undergone many surgeries. His story was aired on PBS in June 2021, "Mysteries of Mental Illness, Episode 4, New Frontiers". I'd love to know if anyone saw this episode, knows what happened to this guy, or is experiencing something like what I'm going through?

[Mental Fairy]

How interesting, my husband has a similar problem. His GP said it’s high blood pressure? Then I went to a health store to get something and mentioned it. She informed me it was medicine for his blood pressure!!!

The noise is always there non stop and from time to time vision is effected?

[snoringdog]

Hello Lutherangirl,

Welcome!

If I keep myself busy, I don't hear it.

That's like with tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
I've had it for a long time, and am hearing it now. It used to weigh on me heavily, but I've become used to it.

When anything is running like a fan, tv, washer and dryer it intensifies that noise

The sound of running water, like a waterfall or a fountain can be very calming for tinnitus sufferers (some of the misophonia sufferers had headphones on too in the film). "White noise" can also be good.

Have you found anything like that that's soothing to you?

My therapist says it's my OCD and anxiety causing it.

Can't comment on this, but please *do* see a medical doctor to clear any sort of physical/medical condition, as Mental Fairy mentions.

The obsessive part of OCD *can* make you pay extra attention to it, and even fixate on it and that'll certainly wear you down. (I seem to have a bit of OCD myself I think).

It drove me to wanting to kill myself and ended up hospitalized twice.

That's terrible. Poor sleep and the grinding grinding grinding on your consciousness can lead you to want it make it stop in any way you can.

I'd love to know if anyone saw this episode,

Found that my local library has the disc, I'll take a look!

BTW - May I ask about your screen name? As a "recovering cult member" I wondered about it...

[lutherangirl]

How interesting, my husband has a similar problem. His GP said it’s high blood pressure? Then I went to a health store to get something and mentioned it. She informed me it was medicine for his blood pressure!!!

The noise is always there non stop and from time to time vision is effected?

Hello Mental Fairy,

Thanks for sharing this information. This noise started before medications were prescribed to me.

How does your husband deal with the noise?