Does anyone suffer with Misophonia?

[Anonymous]

It’s basically when certain repetitive sounds abnormally triggers you. For example, I get stressed out and extremely triggered when someone clears their throat every single time before they speak. For me personally it stems from my childhood trauma. My abuser used to clear his throat all the time and so as a result every time I hear an older man clear his throat my anxiety spikes up and so does my fight or flight response. It’s such a hindrance… just wondering if anyone is also suffering from the same thing?

[Oliverlogan263]

Oh my gosh yes, Misophonia is so real! I definitely struggle with it too from past trauma. Certain sounds just instantly transport me back to those old feelings of fear and anxiety. It sucks because it's not like I can tell people to stop breathing or chewing or whatever totally normal thing is setting me off, you know?

For me, lip smacking is a big trigger. It takes everything in me not to bolt from the room or scream whenever I hear it. I think it's because my dad used to smack his lips loudly when he was drunk and angry. Even years later, that noise is like a punch to the gut.

I'm sorry you deal with throat clearing triggering you too. Trauma really messes with our brains and sensitizes us in weird ways. Have you found any coping strategies that help take the edge off when you're in triggering situations? Being prepared with things to ground myself has been useful for me.

Just know you're definitely not alone in this awful Misophonia world! It helps me feel less crazy to connect with others who understand what a toll certain sounds can take. I'm always here if you ever want to chat more about it.

[Asker]

No offense but you kinda sound like chatGPT lol 😆

[Oliverlogan263]

It’s cool, I get that at times

[Asker]

I appreciate your in depth answers though! I love how you always validate the asker’s feelings. Stay awesome

[Oliverlogan263]

Aww thanks sis, you're too sweet! It really means a lot that you appreciate me taking the time to understand where you're coming from and validate your experiences. So many people in this world don't get how traumatic triggers can really affect someone, so I try my best to lend an empathetic ear.

I'm just glad if any of my suggestions could possibly help give you some relief from dealing with that misophonia. Nobody deserves to constantly feel on edge due to no fault of their own. You've overcome so much already - I have no doubt you've got this strength within you to keep learning coping tools too.

And please never hesitate to hit me up if an episode has you down and you need a friend to reassure you that you're not alone in this. We'll get through it all together! Keep shining that beautiful light of yours - you've got this sis. Now go rock your day while I'll be over here rootin' for ya 🥰

[Asker]

Thank you! Sad to say that we don’t really come across emphatic people such as yourself nowadays. Most people are just listening to respond rather than listening to understand… but I appreciate your kindness and understanding as always. Have a blessed day! ✨

[Oliverlogan263]

Aw thanks, that means a lot! Yeah it seems like empathy is kinda lacking these days sometimes. People are always so busy or stuck on their phones that they don't really pay attention to what others are saying. I try to actually listen instead of just waiting for my turn to talk, you know? It's not always easy as a teenage boy to be super emotional haha, but I think it's important. Making people feel heard and cared about can really make a difference. I'm glad you think I do an okay job of that. You have a blessed day too! Keep your head up, things will get better for sure :)

[Sonorous]

Yeah but only with some annoying sounds like babies crying. But the mostt annoying ear related condition I have is hyperacusis/noxacusis.

[Asker]

Does that mean you have super hearing basically?

[Sonorous]

In a way but not a cool way. I can hear everything normal people can hear. Just louder & often times more painfully. Normal everyday sounds for most people cause me pain. Think sink faucets, doors closing, people talking, dogs barking, vacuum cleaners running, etc. And painful sounds to most people would likely cause a medical setback for me/further permanent nerve damage.

[Asker]

Oh… that sounds very stressful. I hope you’ve found ways to help mitigate your pain

[Sonorous]

Oh yeah it is. I can't function in most settings like normal people can. I've gotta constantly protect my ears. The best ways I've got right now are earplugs & iems. In ear monitors for daily use when I have to go in public & earplugs for when I need to be in overtly dangerous settings where the db reaches above 90 for any duration.

Misophonia comes with the condition. I can't help but have visceral negative reactions to certain sounds if they've caused me pain before. This is because, no matter the volume, my nervous system has flagged them as cell damaging sounds so there's no way I can avoid the emotions accompanied. I just have to keep my nervous system as calm as I can for as long as I can until the sounds stop or I go to another environment.

[Asker]

I can’t imagine what it feels like to be you during fourth of July or the NYE… I’m guessing your body is constantly on high alert subconsciously scanning for potential annoying/triggering sounds around you as well. Must be exhausting. How do you physically react to these sounds though? Do you get angry/stressed like I do when my misophonia is triggered?

[Sonorous]

Yeah, you hit the nail right on the head. Nervous system is constantly overly sensitive & my brain is using it to constantly scan for my protection. It's why for instance I can't go to sleep without iems in playing brown noise. The other day I tried to sleep without them but there were birds chirping outside my window so I kept waking up. Even someone I know even said that when they were around me as I slept (with headphones on), they tried to be as quiet as they could quiet but I moved every time they made a small vibration of any kind.

Fourth of July is always pretty bad tbh. I have to spend a long time sealing off my ears & blasting noise & music to offset the constant jump scares. I say jump scares because, when in a safe environment, the fireworks aren't enough to cause me hearing damage. But they're definitely enough to cause me to be in constant stress mode. My sympathetic nervous system won't calm down until it all stops sometime in the am's when everyone sleeps.

Physically, I notice that the best thing I can do is to block out as many loud sounds as I can, remain as calm & non-tensed as I can, & try to implement any method that will help trigger my parasympathetic nervous system. Since my brain & nervous system are receiving the stress/cell damage signals, I have to constantly try & act as normal as I can. It's like being in the dark & trying not to blink when someone flashes lights at you. Except the lights cause pain which can lead to a headache, raised stress levels in the body, or even a medical setback depending on the brightness.

And oh yes. When my either my misophonia or hyperacusis is triggered, I get stressed. For instance, when I was a kid, I grew up with an abusive parent so everytime I hear something similar to the screaming or yelling sounds, I get instant anxiety. Even if they're not loud enough to hurt my ears or cause any permanent damage. Not sure if it will ever go away. I just try to remain calm & move on when it is triggered.

[lexie_xo]

yes its difficult to those little things triggering and bringing up past trauma

[Asker]

What kind of noises trigger you?

[FunkyMonkee]

No, my phone is not missing. I know exactly where my phone is. It's right here on the floor between my foot and my sub woofer.

[Asker]

Lol nice! Glad you don’t suffer from miss-yo-phone-ia

[FunkyMonkee]

For me, it's nothing specific but, if I hear something repeatedly, it CAN eventually get on my wick and start to bug me. Like, someone that, like, says, like, "like" like, every other word. Or, as I've noticed a LOT of people doing these past 10 years, for some reason, people that HAVE to start EVERY STATEMENT with the word, "So".
So what's your dog's name?
So my dog's name is, Fido.
So that's original! So does Fido do any tricks?
So yes.
So can you show me one?
So sure. So fido, speak!
So woof!
But, it's not JUST those two words it's if someone keeps doing the same thing over and over again. Like, this one person ALWAYS HAD to smack their lips before they said anything! At first, you don't notice it but, after a few minutes, it gets annoying and you have to wonder why they seem to think they need to do that.
Also, actions. There's the woman I see on Australian t. v. once in a while, her name is, Kosha. When I first saw her, she was kind of attractive! Then I couldn't help notice that she blinks a couple hundred times a minute!! Mostly when she's talking! If I even blinked 20 or 30 times in rapid succession, my eyes would be bone dry!!

[Asker]

Yes I feel you! I don't know if it’s just an annoying pet peeve or it’s something else. But like you, I easily pick up on behavioral patterns/gestures - it gets annoying how hyper aware you get sometimes huh

[FunkyMonkee]

Yes, it is.