YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I have misophonoia. I realize that the the reaction incurs a fight or flight, but I am immediately angry with my trigger sounds. My triggers are sounds of eating that include: popping of gum, chewing, talking with too much saliva so it makes a slurp noise, licking noises, high pitched frequcies that include refresh noises on PCs, playing music or any audio that is at a super low hearing level to which making out details are discernible. But, I have noticed that the organic sounds made by animals that are similar to what humans would make, do not bother me. Chewing and slurping made by animals do not cause an adrinual rush. An idea for such a study would be to play various recorded sounds without the user knowing the origin of said sound. My hypothesis is that introverted animal lovers would prefer the sound of animals eating over humans, as they they tolerate animals over human company. Perhaps they have an unconscious disdain for humans. Just an idea.

I generally dislike people and I know part of what angers me is that the noise is coming from a human. Because I'm feeling that reaction of 'how could you be so damn inconsiderate to eat right beside me you asshole, etc'. I think it can be really context specific, too. I feel assaulted if the noise is happening in an otherwise quiet space where I'm trying to focus, but if there's a general hum of other noises I don't care as much. It's like an invasion of privacy. I feel that if I sat down to willingly listen to the noises that trigger me, maybe I wouldn't mind them so much because I'm making the choice to listen to them. I think the fight or flight comes from feeling like I have no choice and the noise is being forced on me by some inconsiderate selfish truly horrible asshole who needs to think more about how they affect others around them lol. The anger comes from a lack of control or consent.