Arrgggg!

[Fishmanpa]

Hi,

I never post on my own behalf but I wanted to share an issue I suffer with. It doesn't really cause anxiety per se' as much as it's just really annoying and has caused me stress.

Starting in my teens, from my best recollection, I've had an aversion to repetitive and loud sounds. It's unusual in that I'm a musician but it's only certain "repetitive" sounds that get to me.

The clicking of a pen, the clanging of pots and pans or dishes. the repetitive sound of a machine, a loud truck etc., sniffing, crunching foods, beeping (grrrr) from a phone or a machine (it's gotten really bad after my cancer treatment) etc. etc , all these types of sounds and many more set off a trigger in me that makes me want to get away from them or smash the living crap out of them or something! Concerning music, it accounts for my aversion to rap music and the repetitive samples and sounds used in them. It just makes me irritable. Even someone tapping their fingers or bouncing their leg gets to me.

I looked it up and there's actually a name for this. Misophonia. I've not been diagnosed with it but I sure do fit the profile. I'm not as bad off as some I've read about and it doesn't disrupt my life in a profound manner but damn if it's not annoying!

I have no idea how to lesson the effect these types of sounds have on me. I just always thought it was just a quirky thing with me but apparently it's not as uncommon as I thought.

Like I said, I'm just venting... thanks for reading ;)

Positive thoughts

[Rennie1989]

I can hear high pitch noises, which hurts like hell, and I get irritated by loud noises. Gigs and cinemas are fine but if the TV is louder than needed I feel irritation build up, same when my husband is playing Battlefield, sirens outside etc.

I get irritated by repetitive noises too, like if someone taps their feet, customers at work slamming the buttons on the game machines etc.

Then again I think I'm old before my time, turning into a moany old mare who likes peace and quiet.

[HoneyLove]

I'm the same as you Rennie - high pitched and loud noises drive me crazy. On bad days even walking down the street is horrible.

I had an ear test a few weeks ago and she was able to show me how some muscle in my ear was overreacting to high pitched and loud sounds, it was very interesting.

I connect it all to muscle tension from grinding my teeth in my sleep, and bad posture!

[jayjoe18]

I was just about to send a response saying it sounds like you have Misophonia but then I read on and saw that you've already researched :)

My mum has this, I only came across it online this year and immediately everything clicked for her. She can't eat with people because her worst one is chomping, she has to walk away even if it's just chewing gum. She can't go to the cinema because of popcorn! Must be hard for you as people aren't very understanding of it until they know it's a disorder and not even then. I've known it all my life so totally understand how difficult it is.

I had to print info off for our GP as they had never even heard of it! There doesn't seem to be much you can do in terms of treatment, I think they recommended therapy but that would include exposure and I'm not really sure how helpful that would be. I think it's just a case of learning to live with it and trying to avoid the triggers unfortunately.

My mum had severe anxiety (now successfully treated with meds) I wonder if there is a link?

[tigerlark]

I've never heard of misophonia before, but a simple (yet not easy) way of getting over any aversion or phobia is through exposure therapy. As hard as it may be, it may help to expose yourself to those sounds which irritate you, purposely, and to tell yourself that the aversion is irrational and that the sound cannot hurt you. That's usually how people are treated for OCD and phobias. I would suggest NOT avoiding your triggers as avoiding them just reinforces the anxious thoughts. That is, IF you want to actually be healed from it and not just live with it for the rest of your life. Hope that helps you!

[Fishmanpa]

Thanks for the response.

Part of what I'm doing (next week) is discuss this and some mild depression I'm experiencing (recent cancer survivor) with my GP as I have a wellness appointment. I'll ask about seeking some one on one therapy. I've taken anti-depressants before (Zoloft) and had some nasty side effectsand also didn't like the way they made me feel (drugged) so I want to avoid any meds at all costs. Besides, I take a ton anyway due to my medical issues.

I've been using "avoidance" to deal with this. Close my office door, leave the room, put in my earbuds etc. It doesn't always work ~lol~ As I stated, it's not disruptive to my normal life, only an annoyance and irritant. However, there are times it does make me edgy, anxious and irritable. Beeping is my hot button as the chemo ward was full of beeping.

---------- Post added at 15:59 ---------- Previous post was at 15:44 ----------


I was just about to send a response saying it sounds like you have Misophonia but then I read on and saw that you've already researched :)

My mum has this, I only came across it online this year and immediately everything clicked for her. She can't eat with people because her worst one is chomping, she has to walk away even if it's just chewing gum. She can't go to the cinema because of popcorn! Must be hard for you as people aren't very understanding of it until they know it's a disorder and not even then. I've known it all my life so totally understand how difficult it is.

I had to print info off for our GP as they had never even heard of it! There doesn't seem to be much you can do in terms of treatment, I think they recommended therapy but that would include exposure and I'm not really sure how helpful that would be. I think it's just a case of learning to live with it and trying to avoid the triggers unfortunately.

My mum had severe anxiety (now successfully treated with meds) I wonder if there is a link?

Hi JayJoe,

I'm not as bad as what your Mom experiences but it was amplified during my cancer treatment. Feeling like death warmed over doesn't do much for patience and tolerance and like I said in a few posts, the beeping of the monitors drove me batty! There was a time in the waiting room a guy whose Mom was getting treatment was eating a bag of chips and the crunching and crinkling of the bag made me want to grab it out of his had and dump it on him! ~lol~ I was suffering from some psychosis from a bad reaction of steroids that exasperated my reaction. Mostly though, it's quite manageable.

Positive thoughts

[Tanner40]

I hate those type of repetitive noises too, Fishmanpa. The most annoying thing for me is they become like a song that the lyrics are stuck in my head. Once the repetitive noise stops, I still feel like I can hear it. It's taken me quite awhile to learn to ignore it. Good job on talking to your GP about the mild depression. Proactive!

[Fishmanpa]

Good job on talking to your GP about the mild depression. Proactive!

Yeah... I recognize I'm having an issue. It's the same way I felt after my 1st heart attack and bypass surgery. There were beautiful days I just stayed in with the blinds drawn when I normally would have been out wetting a line for some trout or hiking. Losing interest in the things I love is a sign and I'm finding I'm doing that. Perhaps it some PTSD too. I equate it to a soldier at war. When you're in the midst of the battle, you don't realize you've been wounded. It's only when the fighting stops that you realize it. Now, 7 months post treatment, with all the side effects I have, I'm realizing just how much I sacrificed in the battle.

I went for counseling the first time and it was very helpful. I'll ask about that next week. my insurance will cover it too so that's good. I'm a very positive person and I work on it daily and have for 20+ years. I just could use a bit of a perspective tune up ;)

Positive thoughts

[Tanner40]

So glad to hear it's a perspective tune-up! I can't even imagine the battle that you've been through and continue to fight. I only hope that I would have the same courage, fortitude, and sense of humor that you do, should something actually ever be wrong with me. Of course that day day will come. It comes for each of us eventually. Thinking of you!