Misophonia: Sound Rage | Sci Guys Podcast #78

Can’t stand the sound of people eating? You’re not alone... You might even have a medical condition!
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REFERENCES
www.nhs.uk/conditions/hyperac...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
misophoniatreatment.com/wp-co...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31066...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
journals.plos.org/plosone/art...
www.improbable.com/ig-about/w...
www.improbable.com/ig-about/w...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33005...
journals.plos.org/plosone/art...

[@whydoineedtohaveahandle]

For me, crunchy sounds aren’t so bad. It’s the really wet, chewy sounds that disgust me. Also loud swallowing.

[@summanus4437]

Same here. Also sweet wrappers can trigger it if they sounds sloppy enough. Also loud breathing.

[@JuanPablodelaTorre]

Saaaaaame But Luke crunching the peanuts made my face quite tingly.

[@blabli6028]

@@summanus4437 sooo true, people with loud breathing make me soo angry. XD But also coughing or repeating nose sounds.

[@PowerSpirit50]

All swallowing is loud, I can hear it across a room.

[@colwynneowens7503]

the representation i've been waiting for :) but in all seriousness as a person who hasn't been able to eat with my family for 4 years & has been to a therapist for misophonia im very glad that you have made this video to teach others about this as it is not often a topic of conversation & people are like ??? when i mention it. thank you!

[@monkeydonk3925]

Omg same!!!! I literally can't be anywhere near my family eating. Sometimes even being in the house is too much for me

[@katiealger86]

I live in a house where 4/5 inhabitants (myself included) are neurodivergent and we have a literal list of “bad sounds” that are banned from the household. No scraping plates with silverware, no styrofoam EVER, no chewing within swinging distance etc. idk if it’s the same thing but these sounds will result in said 4/5 stimming and or hitting something 😂

[@wilburconterio6994]

As a kid I would tell kids at school to stop chewing loud because my household is neurodiverse and my mom has misophonia as well. So it was just normao

[@eliward1378]

I noticed that different people make different sounds while eating, and I really only have a problem with some sounds... It's really annoying to find out after spending some time with someone, that I can't stand the sound of their chewing

[@kaylafoxx41]

wtf, i had no idea my raw hatred of wet mouth noises had a name

[@summanus4437]

"Raw hatred" is a good way to describe it.

[@lvghllgr8181]

It's interesting that misophonia sounds so similar to sensory processing disorder but they are two separate things Anyway i love your podcasts🖤🍁

[@sad_doggo2504]

I definitely think it's possible to have both, like you can be generally susceptible to sensory overload and then also reactive to specific sounds in a way that doesn't match with your SPD symptoms just my take, though

[@sarahlouise260]

Can you get this with polystyrene? The sound of anything on polystyrene makes me sick and angry. It’s so bad I’ve just moved house and when my appliances came I had to go and look after my friends kids so she could get rid of the packaging for me.

[@monicaherrera2224]

Yes! It really makes me feel this uncontrollable rage and I get the urge to punch someone 😅

[@coralovesnature]

My mother-in-law is the same way about terracotta-type objects, like with the kind of chalky clay type feel. She can't even touch them, has to have someone else do it.

[@saphass]

Yes any sound can be a trigger sound

[@deadlymelody27]

Yes. Polystyrene makes me feel really really uncomfortable. I hate the sound of it coming out of a cardboard box. I had a job for 2 years that involved me throwing away faulty products, including Polystyrene as part of it. I managed to get through it and it made it slightly easier, almost like exposure therapy. But im still not keen and im probably just as bad as before now since i havent worked there. I can feel the sort of mild phobia response just talking about it. Same feeling i have just talking about my phobia of spiders.

[@kayreece96]

I have terrible panic attacks and sensory overload and always have tried to explain it as hyper awareness. Lights, sounds, physical touch are all too "loud." Loud w my ears, eyes, and feeling/touch. Too much. I have a hard time even going to work. I dont eat out at all. The added element of eating and hyper awareness of eating, swallowing, texture and temperature of food mixed w everything else, people talking. It makes me panic. I dont eat out or even with family. I have been diagnose w anxiety, panic disorder, ocd, ptsd. So basically really shit anxiety and have yet to meet anyone who has to experience the world like i do like where the anxiety causes all this and you want to avoid life. Like i cant believe!!!! Ppl eat out or go shopping for fun. Or casually go to the store for groceries(i literally order pick up or send someone in for me)

[@kaydenka1]

I suffer from severe anxiety, PTSD and sudden panic attacks from specific noises. It's really hard to live with, but I'm trying really hard to not let it defeat me. My sound triggers aren't from eating, but loud, sudden noises like children running around screaming, my neighbors slamming doors or them getting into violent fights. I wish there was a cure... 💔💔

[@slycookiegames7642]

I had no idea that the squeaky noises balloons made, or more specifically my hated for, was like a whole thing.

[@Felix-bw6oj]

i also can’t eat with my family. the chewing makes me feel so irritated i feel like i could punch everyone in the face :)

[@Felix-bw6oj]

i should clarify i’ve never hit anyone over loud chewing

[@annaorthodox4653]

My first memory of a major irritation was the way my mum curled her upper lip and sipped her tea. I was about 10 then. Other things gradually became problems, with the worst being throat clearing (absolutely unbearable), sniffing, snoring, loud swallowing, pen tapping or clicking, and certain singing and whistling tones. Loud voices. Steel wool soap pads cleaning pots. Slurping drinks. Various eating noises. I always thought it was just me, but at the age of 64 I now know that this is actually a THING. I'm retired and live alone now so I don't often have to deal with many of these sounds or situations, but I have just discovered Loops, and will never go out without them.

[@bleh3.2]

I'm extremely late to the party but I have this. It's usually mouth noises and chewing but also certain whispering makes me want to peel off my skin, that sounds harsh typing it out but the first time I experienced it I had to shove down a panic attack until I could get away. It makes me really anxious/scared and the only thing I can think about is 'I have to stop this noise I have to get away' and I've had genuine rage when it's unexpected. When I'm eating with my family I've started to leave my water bottle in my room so I have an excuse to leave the room and pull myself together, it's not a solution but it helps. It gets worse if I can see the person chewing, like if I can see the person's mouth moving I get so upset that I've had to consciously look in the other direction. It also depends on the person and the food, my mom eating a sandwich: fine; my sister eating chips: gross, agitated, I'll leave the room calmly; my dad eating steak: I am seconds away from crying I need to not exist right now. Restaurants are fine because I can drown it out with all the noisy talking so thank god Americans are loud in public.

[@nobutheyonyou7990]

I have misophonia and it started developing the past two years and is getting increasingly worse. My family knows about it and i usually tell them If they’re making a noise so they can try to be more aware of avoid it. I never tell anyone else though, even If they know i have misophonia even though it’s bothering me bc i feel mean and i’m scared they’ll get mad at me. I already feel bad about commenting on my dad all the time bc he is my main trigger person for some reason. For me it is way more noise than just eating, and i can’t even categorize the sounds anymore. I don’t like wearing headphones because i miss out on conversations and feel left out, which is essentially making myself more exposed to triggers. My main reaction to the sounds are disgust and anger (irritation) and physical reactions. I tried talking to my GP about it but she didn’t understand what it was, called it anxiety and really invalidated my experience. I would really wish to go through some kind of treatment, but i don’t think there is any. The fact that it is very little studied sucks a lot, because i feel not understood and am really struggling to cope with it getting worse and worse. I think the possible correlation to complusive disorders is interesting, bc i am getting very annoyed at many things not being like it is supposed to be, and having to follow really strict systems for myself to study and understand things sometimes. I don’t have OCD or anything like that, but i see some similarities and have wondered it If it was related to misophonia. I think i also have misokinesia (the same but with visuals, usually related to mouths and things that cause my triggers) and sometimes it seems unrelated to misophonia as well. I also hear the smaking of lips very clearly despite the tv being on high volume and have found i sometimes have trouble hearing the conversations i’m apart of, If there is loud noises around me, like my brain is focusing on the wrong sounds. And i found them chewing without food way worse than with the snacks, because the thing i’m reacting to is the lips parting and the spit and not the teeth or the food in itself. Again, way more types of sounds than just eating triggers me

[@ryandthatsit6323]

Listening to you talking about normal Doctor Who fears, knowing I was scared of the lil adipose children the most..

[@yoinksscoob4889]

Haha, I remember the Abzorbaloff scared me when I saw the episode as a little kid, I didn't get properly into Doctor Who until a year ago though

[@monicaherrera2224]

That review is a whole ass mood for 2020 🙃😅

[@cmincin8055]

Had a severe case since I was 9 years old, good to see it being talked about in depth finally!!

[@puffpride8344]

Chewing and sometimes loud breathing makes me feel extreme hatred for the person, no matter who it is. I feel awful for feeling it.

[@saggguy7]

I have this with metallic sounds. Silverware sliding against teeth in particular, but also knife sharpening and in movies if a character takes a sword out of its sheath. It makes my stomach drop and it makes me cringe uncontrollably.

[@Rising_Pho3nix_23]

:O THERE'S A TERM FOR THIS?! I have misophonia for overhearing people talking, whistling or singing. I haven't taken my ear plugs out in about 2 weeks. I sleep with them, I shower with them. I have conversations on the phone with them. Hearing people is fine, hearing someone who isn't talking to me is what activates me. And I have a physical reaction that I can actually feel my blood pressure increase. I'm so sensitive to it that I get rage when I even incorrectly imagine someone down the hall is talking. Even now I have static noise playing on my headphones with earplugs and a wall. I can't hear a microwave beep but if I even think I hear a person I wanna punch a wall. Even if I really didn't hear anyone. I don't know what to do about it

[@monkeydonk3925]

For the record, coz this is like the first good representation I've found for this, here's how it affects me. All auditory sounds from family, pretty much. Anxiety from that Things that I associate with eating or mouths cause it-gaps in conversation, the visuals of my parents doing literally anything with their face or throat, doors being open. I have to close all doors all the time because doors being open means I can hear it Pretty much my brain has found hundreds of connections between eating and other stuff so I have to complicate my life to avoid the other stuff or I get an anxiety attack. Also can't do anything with my family. Can't watch movies. Can't hold conversations much Also because brains are the worst, I've gotten really good at identifying stuff. Like I can tell when people have drank in the past minute because of the way they speak-more anxiety attacks. Yaaaaay. Also unrelated noises cause it. The sound of a mug being placed on a table causes it because most people 1. Pick up mug 2. Drink from mug 3. Put mug down 4. Swallow So mugs cause it. I can't be in the house when my mum cooks because she drinks wine which I can hear her putting down from downstairs. As previously mentioned I have to do stuff by myself most of the time because I can't be around people Also conversations get hard. Silent pauses give me anxiety attacks. My dad has a sort of grumble in his voice. Like the way scottish people pronounce 'loch' that chhhh sound is something my dad does when he can't find a word which causes an anxiety attack. Scottish words like Loch cause it because of that. And then because the people I live with aren't fantastic at realising I'm not in control of myself when those triggers happen, they get mad at me for it. Generally people being mad or angry in any way makes it worse. I can't be around certain friends. Anyone kissing is really difficult to deal with, especially my parents, which perhaps leads to intimacy issues and crap. Idk. But I'm definitely not comfortable with a lot of intimate things (even just thinking about them) purely because of the sounds and stuff involved. Also all triggers cause it independently. Depending on my mood I can put up with a certain amount of it tho Also certain food issues arise from it People fawning over food and saying certain words like 'lovely' cause it. Pretty much old people + the concept of food = panic Sounds crap but it's mostly just with my parents so after I leave for uni I should be better (I have gotten counselling for it and it's only really bad with parents coz they cause my anxiety and the anxiety causes most of the symptoms-without it it just boils down to a few sounds

[@barghast]

Late to the party here as I'm listening to your backlog and wanted to share a snippet of my misophonia to autism journey. Not saying they're always related but it was the case for me. I was diagnosed with migraines with phonophobia when I was a teenager after a lifetime of being highly averse to the loud and high pitched noises like sirens and cutlery scraping on plates. (Also got migraines after exposure to strong smells, bright lights, getting too hot). Then in my early 20s I went to an audiologist as I was struggling to pick out sounds in loud environments (e.g. hearing someone talk when walking next to traffic) and I thought I had hearing loss. Turned out I was hearing "too much" and couldn't filter the noises. Finally in my late 20s I was diagnosed as autistic and these previous experiences with high sensitivity to sound were part of what informed their picture of my sensory issues.

[@sazgarameen5724]

Thank you so much for this amazing episode it was so informative and i learnt so much, as someone with mesophonia i really appreciated it, i really hope you guys carry on what you are doing its really awsome and i really hope you guys get the recognition you deserve.💛

[@jessilovely]

As a “sufferer” or misophonia since adolescence, I would say that (for me) it’s not every time I hear eating etc that I get annoyed. It’s more commonly certain people or if I’m stressed. I’m quite sensitive aurally in general and if I’m relaxed I can find ASMR and stuff relaxing but say, if I’m fighting with someone (especially someone I know) these sounds can irritate me to a point where I question my ability to refrain from committing a heinous crime 🙊 seriously, it’s scary how enraging it is. Now that I know it’s better but before my parents (biggest triggers) would tell me to get my [shit] together and it was so enraging, I didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with me. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. I feared mealtimes.

[@thomasdonaldjacobs7291]

My boyfriend purchased a horrible clock that keeps time by rolling little metal balls around on ramps. The sound of them clicking made me crazy. The clock broke and I took it away to be fixed. It may never get repaired. Also, the sound of people loudly eating, like slobbery: just repulsive.

[@edenaish31]

For me its ticking clocks, this literally happened this morning, my dad had to hide a clock under a pillow so I couldn't hear it. I also can't sleep in a room with a ticking clock, it freaks me out. I get really anxious if I'm in a room with a lot of people and there's just that low rumble if talking. another thing that sets me off is the sound of the back windscreen wiper in my mum's car, if I'm having a bad day (i have anxiety and depression) it can give me like a mini panic attack each time I hear it.

[@annacaris6674]

I hate the sound of any chewing, drinking, heavy breathing and repetitive irritating noises. i had to take my headphones out lmaoooo.

[@mimsygoodcat3449]

I noticed this in adolescence with my mum breathing lol 😆

[@sunboy1111]

Coats. You know that slippery material that most winter coats are made out of? When you touch it, especially with dry hands, it makes this s o u n d. The horror of going coat shopping is real.

[@denofthieves777]

I have this. crunching, chewing loud and snoring 😭😭😭😭 it angers me so much

[@emmabarrett6480]

is there a visual version of this? like for example seeing things like telephone poles covered in staples elicits an involuntary visceral reaction?

[@orion_ornak]

It's even more difficult when the triggers are unavoidable (people's breathing, coughing). I mean, all of the triggers are bad, but in some cases you can avoid them like not eating with people, but when you need to interact and talk... you can't wear earplugs. It's hard trying to rationalize why I, as a mature and the most pacifist person, can't punch someone in the face because of their need of air to be alive 😅 I definitely can't say "would you stop making that horrendous noise? Yeah, I know you're just breathing. Would you stop already? It's ANNOYING AND I WANT TO DIE!". Also, thanks for covering this topic (and the other ones in the podcast).

[@PowerSpirit50]

I tend to retreat into my head and let my body do stuff on autopilot. It's better than hearing sounds.

[@CappyJ]

I can't stand people eating but, as is so often the case with me, I can't be sure whether this is independant of autism or one of my general sensory issues.

[@summanus4437]

I have this. By god it's fucking annoying. I had to sit through an event right next to an old guy loudly, and sloppily, breathing heavily through out the entire thing. Had to dig my nails into my arm just to distract myself. Because it's not just anger, it's *uncomfortable* anger. Messes with your ability to think properly, regulate your body processes and deal with the emotional response. If you don't have anyway to separate yourself from the source it's practically torture.

[@haleydoe644]

Thank you for the warning. I almost dipped when I heard "snack". It's awful.

[@simonsemmler9804]

omg that's why i hate the sound of people scratching on paper!

[@syfp4769]

I get this with slurping sounds. Interesting to hear others talking about it.

[@arcanemedia8166]

When im uncomfortable i start laughing so ill start laughing when people are breathing and can never explain why. Another one if when people do that mocking tone where they speak with there tounge in there teeth (best description i can give) makes me really unjustifyably angree

[@bethanysolimine5428]

I came here from the Loop website. I'm hoping these "headphones" will help me. I once called the cops on my downstairs neighbor, because their music was too loud. It was so annoying to me, I was certain it could be heard from the front of the building. The cops said it was all quiet and I was angry for a few more hours. It turns out it was just me. And they really drive me crazy. I get really mad and irrational. It's not fun. And one big culprit is the Salvation Army people at Christmas time ringing those bells constantly in front of ALL of the grocery stores. I can't stand it.

[@elsaandersson1652]

which earplugs did you buy? Did they help?

[@bethanysolimine5428]

@@elsaandersson1652 I bought Loops. They work okay. It dulls the noise down a lot. I use them now whenever the bell ringing people are out. The bell makes me very angry. I put them on before I leave my car and take them out well inside the store, if I take them out in the store. There's another brand that I want to try, but the loops have been good and they are pretty reasonably priced.

[@realgirlizzi439]

literally couldn't stop neck spasming after the chewing- mmmm misophonia

[@unexpectedspider]

they joke about clocks ticking, but they make me want to kms, i would rather be dead than hear a clock ticking - same with wet chewing and swallowing. but i'm autistic, so sensory sensitivity is pretty normal

[@michellenaessens8601]

People cracking their knuckles. Literally sends a shiver down my spine, it's disgusting. My ex used to do this (I guess he still does) without thinking. When he cracked one, he NEEDED to finish with all ten. It was horrible.

[@haleydoe644]

Unwanted genital arousal is also a symptom of misophonia. It's a cascade of everything uncomfortable caused by repetitive sounds, not only mouth sounds. But soft and repetitive. I also have phonophobia. Doors slamming, horns, balloons popping, and telephoniphobia, which is the fear of phone ringing. Panick attacks. This isn't funny. It's debilitating and I've been living with it since I was 10.

[@Vixey_Bean]

Praise for Bose noise canceling headphones, wearing mine rn

[@thekagepro24]

My younger sister has this, she can't stand the sound of sniffing. She's on the spectrum, so her reactions to sniffing sometimes get extreme. The closest I can relate to that feeling is getting shivers when people scratch those holographic Valentines cards, but the two of our reactions are quite varied. It makes me wonder how misophonia can effect those on the spectrum differently. What do you think?

[@iloivar]

For me it is less disgust than PANIC leading to anger. And it is not at all visual; same feeling whether I can see the source or not. My triggers are a little different than Corry's, but I won't get into the details.

[@stephanie5293]

I have so many questions for corry (or anyone else) about how they get around being near people eating. What about the movie theatre? People eat popcorn

[@leoneph2295]

misophonic person here. This is one of the reasons I don’t go to the movie theatre that much, but when I do I wear earplugs so I don’t hear the popcorn chewing. I generally wear headphones or earplugs like 95% of the time. Even at home. I possess two pairs of in use headphones, two backup pairs, three pairs of in use earplugs and about five pairs of backups. I have a bajillion playlists on my phone for every kind of situation so I always have fitting music available to drown out The Sounds.

[@BauhausBarbie]

I literally have to sit at the dinner table with my earphones in watching KZbin otherwise I feel like I'll actually implode

[@mliljegard19771209]

Sometimes I hate the sounds I make myself chewing or laughing.

[@JaysJourney]

What's the Discord server? I think they forgot to link it in the description 😅

[@kellyseifert8022]

OMGGG clocks ticking! Please no! Makes me want to smash them all with a hammer!!! Hahaha thank you so much for explaining this thing I didn’t even know I have!

[@CamCamCamCamCamCamCamCamCammmm]

Is the cringe many people get from chalk on a black board related? I imagine the feeling of chewing is similar.

[@iloivar]

I wonder if there is any significant overlap with selective eaters.

[@5210smile]

Any bodily function of my mother (coughing, hiccuping, eating, etc.). Anyone else clipping their nails.

[@daisytate2625]

When they were making the mouth noises😓☠️

[@perrystalsisworldofbiology767]

Yea, I don't like listening to folks eating. However, seriously, what really triggers me are 1990s divas like Celine Dion, Mariah and Whitney. When I hear them sing shrilly I convulse with rage. I really am serious out this. Also, Jazz has a similar effect on me. Yes, I am on the spectrum.

[@julianamagg3177]

I almost stopped listening because of Luke eating. I can block these sounds out when I am not eating or not really tired but I have almost thrown up because of people eating with their mouth open while I am eating. I am a nurse so I had to find ways to deal with it but it can be hard somedays and I can almost never do that while eating Oh and yeah, animals and babies are ok

[@mliljegard19771209]

You can learn to live with it and your sounds dislikes change in intensity throughout your life.

[@mliljegard19771209]

My trigger sound is licking especially dogs licking.

[@catwalking4959]

lol...if jk rowling wrote it?? ^^

[@More13Feen]

Its comon in autisem too right?

[@Vixey_Bean]

The chewing without food was much worse for me, mouth sounds make me uncomfortable😬

[@slycookiegames7642]

Miso=hate Phone=voice Misophonia=hate speech

[@tanner3806]

Coughing and chewing has me livid 😔 but with lower pitches usually..? Like with cis men, idk

[@elli_lovesmusic]

I was listening to music this morning while someone was singing horribly, and I nearly went mad

[@insu_na]

I hate the sound of people eating, I hate the sound of people drinking, I hate the sound of people snoring and I hate the sound of fingernails on chalkboards. Absolutely awful all of them. Generally the same for ASMR content, almost all ASMR stuff makes me nauseous

[@monkeydonk3925]

Yeah maybe eating loudly in an episode about misophonia wasn't the best idea.... I mean I know you gave a warning and everything but for me especially anxiety is a huge component of it and the anticipation of eating causes about as much misery as the listening to the eating itself ... But otherwise love the show