Anyone Heard of Misophonia?

[Galaxy Freeze]

I was trying to find out why I get so angry when people cough loudly, I shouldn't get angry at it, I don't know why I can't just ignore it like everyone else.

So, I looked it up on the internet. It literally means, a "hatred of sound", there isn't a lot of information on it though because it's rare.
I'll just sum up what I saw. It's pretty much an unusual condition that causes a person to have an "eruption" of emotions, such as anger, because they get so irritated by the smallest or most normal noises.

Here's a little video on it, I'd highly recommend watching it if you haven't heard of it: Today-Misophonia-Sept-8-2011.mov - YouTube

This made me think of Asperger's/Autism sensory issues, since a majority of these noises, especially coughing, cause me to feel intense rage that I fear would turn physical after a certain amount of time. Could Misophonia be a symptom that contributes to Asperger's/Autism? Or is that just Sound Selective Sydrome (or whatever it's called)?

We all have different noises that can set us off, but for those of us who feel anger and emotions erupt when we hear the sounds like the ones in the video (chewing, coughing, crinkling paper bags, etc.), sounds that a majority of the population simply doesn't (and shouldn't) mind... Could Misophonia also be a symptom, like temporary Depression, Anger issues, and the others that contribute to Asperger's/Autism?

I think I might have Misophonia, but I don't know for sure. Let's just say if I have it or not, it's hard to live life when you hate sound in general. You saw in the video (if you watched it)
The problem is these noises are so normal and natural, everyone hears them every day, if some people cannot handle them, there's indeed a problem. Just wondering if it could be part of Asperger's/Autism (for some people, at least)

What do you think about it?

 

[King_Oni]

I don't really have it as severe in the sense that I get anxiety attacks, but I do have really sensitive hearing and thus I get annoyed by a lot of sounds. Most of the time I can drown sounds out by putting on music.

Then again, a reason why I don't go out as much during the day is because of the sheer overload of sound and I don't feel that comfortable when I'm outside then... and it usually is way worse if the sounds I'm hearing are louder than the music I'm listening to. But that is kinda two-fold I think; On one part it's because I'm being disturbed in what I want to hear (thus I'm being exposed to a sensory overload) and then comes the 2nd part; I just cannot stand some peoples voices. That might be a bit like not liking the sound of someone chewing or so... some voices I just cannot deal with. They make me want to smack that person or at least tell him/her to shut up. But there's no real outline for "that voice"... but some I just don't like.

So I don't know if it's really misophonia with me, it's just more of a sensory overload thing and having really sensitive hearing. I talked to my therapist about it, but since I'm also a (hobby) musician, a good ear is a benefit for keeping me happy with interests and hobbies as well. But yeah... I can hear it really well if for instance someone didn't close the lid on a coffeepot (it has this subtle whistle to it), a dripping fosset, or even when a radiator flushes through some water... those are things that kept me from reading a lot at night as a teen.

Nowadays, I usually have both a ceilingfan and my computer on 24/7 and sleep with that noise. The idea behind it, is that it works a bit like a noise-cancelling set-up. A low background hum, cancels out a lot of other frequencies and makes me focus less on those. I don't have that much problems in reading anything due to being distracted by such sounds. Except.. last week, when my girlfriend spent the night for the first time, I turned them all off... I ended up not sleeping and listening to my ipod.

 

[Galaxy Freeze]

Yeah, that may be the case with me too. May not be Misophonia, but something more broad/similar. There are quite a few disorders/conditions that have to do with sound sensitivity it seems.

 

[MrTiger]

I think misophonia is a consequence of some Asperger / Autism - spectrum disorders. Hyper - sensitivity to (certain) sound(s), is highly common. I our society it is easy to use an I -Pod to diminish the effects of the unwanted sounds. Try to use something to mask the unwanted sound. everything from humming to music played on a recording medium. I MUST SSTRESS THAT I AM NOT AN ORACLE!!! I just might have some good ideas, that is all.

 

[tree]

Sounds/noises bother me more if my blood sugar is falling.
The sound of my father using his electric razor in the morning was wildly irritating, before I had eaten breakfast.
The sound of my ears ringing (which they do, constantly) is much harder to tolerate if I need to eat.

 

[NlGHTgirl]

Sounds/noises bother me more if my blood sugar is falling.
The sound of my father using his electric razor in the morning was wildly irritating, before I had eaten breakfast.
The sound of my ears ringing (which they do, constantly) is much harder to tolerate if I need to eat.

fascinating. I wonder if that is useful for me? or others? I get these, like, half headaches? (Other family gets the dreaded migraines!) but everything is LOUD, LOUD, LOUD and BRIGHT, BRIGHT, BRIGHT lights. OH MY GOSH. but it comes through as pain, but it is NOT migraine pain. If I can get away from the LOUD, then the pain goes away. I also have some weird GI issues, dark skin on my ankles, was told I was pre diabetic. I have extremely low blood pressure. (somehow, I can be jumpy, nerves, but not quick to anger, or negativity ?)

I might have had some brain injury as a child and or from car accidents. I don't know.

I was Diagnosed with PDD-NOS as a teen, but.......

 

[Berianireth]

I'm just very glad to hear I'm not that unique. I have a lot of trouble focusing with ambient noise, but the thing I don't usually talk about ( because it sounds so unpleasant and mean) is how unreasonably angry I get when someone suddenly asks a question/coughs/sneezes/ etc. I mean it's not exactly cool that I initially feel _FURIOUS_. xD

 

[Judge]

Can't say I have an outright "hatred of sound". Yet shrill or extremely high-pitched or low-pitched and most of all abrupt sounds can leave me hanging for the ceiling sometimes.

 

[tree]

When summer people come up and bring children, I have to sort out whether
the sounds I hear are children shrieking & screaming, or whether an animal is
being killed.

In my experience, children who live in the woods all the time don't make a lot of noise.

 

[Judge]

When summer people come up and bring children, I have to sort out whether
the sounds I hear are children shrieking & screaming, or whether an animal is
being killed.

In my experience, children who live in the woods all the time don't make a lot of noise.

OMG...kids in stores can be the worst for me. Random screaming at the top of their lungs. Geez...I never even did that as a toddler. Military upbringing....as usual it wasn't allowed.

 

[tree]

Kids in stores.......the really pathetic ones sobbing "I want a toy"-----not even being specific.
And the screechers.

Some of them, I know, are just worn out and hungry.
But why didn't the parent bring food along?

 

[watersprite]

People's voices tick me off, especially loud ones whether adult or child. I startle from almost any abrupt sound such as a door opening suddenly, which automatically makes me really mad, but luckily not for very long. If I was a cartoon I'd be prone to cartoon violence brought on by exposure to loud or sudden sound, florescent lights, artificial smells and crowds.

 

[NlGHTgirl]

Loosing EYE sight......BIG Fear!



Kestrel, I understand. I startle easily if my nerves /anxiety mode...... I don't call my mood angry though. It's more fear based for me. I have very low blood pressure. (Maybe that explains some of my differences?)

I was very very very very very much afraid of random tragic accidents where I would lose my eyesight??? ?! I love ART! I feel that I very much need those eyes to read and do art..... (Now they have iphones and computers that can perform like magic, but still, not the same!) I was very much afraid of my Grandma, being friends and caring for elderly people? (Shame on me) I start to reflect on my own vulnerabilities, aging, and DYING. had Terrible fears of death. Getting older helps this? a little bit????????? ??? (not completely sure)..... really scared of spiders too. (that seems to be popular, but it's true.)

 

[Naturalist]

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/23/please-stop-making-that-noise/

 

[pax]

Yep, I'm one of those people. It's really disheartening when noises that other people may find mildly annoying, or may not even hear - give me homicidal fantasies - and no one understands and thinks I shpould just get over it because after all no-one else is upset. Yep that "you're the only one who has a problem" line. Would they use it if I was deaf and couldn't hear the emergency alarm? No. But because the intercom is set to an unacceptable level ( it is unacceptable - I measured it!) and it doesnt worry them (they're deaf!) it's not a problem!

 

[psychotopsy]

I get incredibly uncomfortable when I'm in the car with someone who is chewing gum. I will find anything to stop myself from hearing it. I will turn up the radio volume, put on earphones, talk loudly, anything I can do to prevent myself from hearing it. As a kid my father's loud breathing used to hurt my ears. I hate how children chew loudly. And screaming in general is just beyond exhausting to me. Knocking on the door is another thing that just pisses me off. Unfortunately, my parents knock on my door almost every morning because they think I'm still sleeping. It pisses me off so much. I can't stand that sound. Also "Changes" by 2pac has this high pitched bell sound in the background that I can't stand. The way these sounds make me feel is what I imagine the Crucio spell from Harry Potter feels like. It's just torturous.

 

[tree]

Knocking on the door is another thing that just pisses me off. Unfortunately, my parents knock on my door almost every morning because they think I'm still sleeping. It pisses me off so much. I can't stand that sound.

Would they still knock if the door was open?

 

[psychotopsy]

Would they still knock if the door was open?

yes, the point is to wake me up. they wont even bother to check if i am awake, they just knock anyway. i can avoid it if i exit my room before the time they usually knock. i have told them not to knock but they keep forgetting

 

[tree]

i can avoid it if i exit my room before the time they usually knock.

That seems like a good solution---unless they want you to wake up/arise
much earlier than what you generally do.

Sounds like they are knocking to establish contact/be assured that you are moving around,
not just to wake you up.

 

[nosouvenirs]

Now that I think about it, there ARE some kinds of sound that make me angry. Like the sound of people mindlessly tapping things with their fingers, for one. (My dad does this a lot and I often have to ask him to stop.) Also, repetitive sounds and motions you make with tapping pencils, erasers, and so forth used to be comforting to me when I was in school, but now if other people do it I go off my head. I basically just scream "SHUT UP!!!" in my mind until I can't take it anymore, when I will tap them and ask them to please stop. I don't like confrontation, and I hate asking people to stop doing something so mindless that they probably didn't even know they were doing, but I HAVE to make it stop or I'll go nuts.

The only other sound I get upset about is super high-pitched sounds, such as the sounds those mosquito repelling machines make. OMFG. The sound of it actually hurts my head. My aunt used to have one in the kitchen of her restaurant, and I couldn't stay in there more than a few minutes before I had to leave -- and nobody in the kitchen but me could hear it. They say you stop being able to hear such high frequencies in your late 20s, but I'm 29 now and I still hear them all with my left ear. (Mosquito machines are unfortunately not the only things that make the horrid high-pitched noises, however.)