Echolalia

September 10, 2011

Hi everyone,

I was wondering what everyone's take on echolalia is. It's a part of my

misophonia/4s that I've tried to downplay for a long time, because as soon as

people find out that it helps me they immediately tell me that the whole

" situation " is in my head. While I've been lucky in a lot of my relationships

that people are willing to listen to what I'm going through and they ask

questions to try to understand, I know inherently that they don't. I recently

finished grad school (I'm 29) and as an adult I've had to explain to a lot of

people why they can't chew (gum) around me, or why I can't meet for group

projects in certain locations because I know that inevitably I will become

enraged by things that they don't even hear. When I get to the point where I

feel that I have to mimic the sound to lessen my pain and rage, then that sets

off the whole mental diagnosis from others - if I can " stand the noise " when I

make it, then it must be all in my head. Most people are quick and ready to

diagnose me with OCD, anxiety, stress, or just straight up " bitchiness " when I

explain to them what I am feeling. It's extremely hard to admit it, even to

close friends and family who already know, because they take it so personally.

It's like I'm telling them that I hate their face or something.

Interestingly, no matter what, I cannot chew gum. I can't do it to alleviate the

sounds of other people doing it, and I even have nightmares that for whatever

reason someone forces me to chew gum and I wake up horrified and exhausted like

I had been sobbing for hours.

On that note, I am also really interested to hear about other people's reaction

to the visual triggers - again, when I see someone chew gum but cannot actually

hear it, I get the same reaction. Naturally, this spurs the backseat doctor

diagnosis from friends and family. If it is a sensory processing disorder and

this is a common effect of it, I am really interested to know more about that.

The more that I learn that other people are experiencing exactly what I am, the

more i feel that this is not something that is my fault or that is within my

control. I am so grateful for this forum; it's almost like you all can read my

thoughts!

I too would like to extend my thanks and admiration to Adah, Heidi, Dr.

and all those who have helped to bring this condition to light.

September 10, 2011

OK, I just learned about Misophonia yesterday...and when you said that when you MIMIC a trigger sound, it helps to difuse the pain, that sure hit another cord with me THAT I HAD NO IDEA OTHER PEOPLE HAD TOO! As I've gotten older I do that less and less, but it's certainly been part of my "coping mechanism" for these triggers. It's almost as if my mimicking a noise neutralised its impact on me. It wasn't ever repeating someones WORDS, but rather SOUNDS (the "sssss" or high singing tone or the open mouth chewing sound, etc). I usually left the room to do the mimicking, trying not to offend, but I really could not get that offending sound out of my head very easily without that mimicking. So...it TOO has a name????

Thanks for bringing this up....I had NO IDEA!

Judi

I was wondering what everyone's take on echolalia is. It's a part of my misophonia/4s that I've tried to downplay for a long time, because as soon as people find out that it helps me they immediately tell me that the whole "situation" is in my head. While I've been lucky in a lot of my relationships that people are willing to listen to what I'm going through and they ask questions to try to understand, I know inherently that they don't. I recently finished grad school (I'm 29) and as an adult I've had to explain to a lot of people why they can't chew (gum) around me, or why I can't meet for group projects in certain locations because I know that inevitably I will become enraged by things that they don't even hear. When I get to the point where I feel that I have to mimic the sound to lessen my pain and rage, then that sets off the whole mental diagnosis from others - if I can "stand the noise" when I make it, then it must be all in my head. Most people are quick and ready to diagnose me with OCD, anxiety, stress, or just straight up "bitchiness" when I explain to them what I am feeling. It's extremely hard to admit it, even to close friends and family who already know, because they take it so personally. It's like I'm telling them that I hate their face or something. Interestingly, no matter what, I cannot chew gum. I can't do it to alleviate the sounds of other people doing it, and I even have nightmares that for whatever reason someone forces me to chew gum and I wake up horrified and exhausted like I had been sobbing for hours. On that note, I am also really interested to hear about other people's reaction to the visual triggers - again, when I see someone chew gum but cannot actually hear it, I get the same reaction. Naturally, this spurs the backseat doctor diagnosis from friends and family. If it is a sensory processing disorder and this is a common effect of it, I am really interested to know more about that. The more that I learn that other people are experiencing exactly what I am, the more i feel that this is not something that is my fault or that is within my control. I am so grateful for this forum; it's almost like you all can read my thoughts!

September 10, 2011

Thank you so much, Judi, for saying that you experience that too! Most of the

time it's tapping or clicking or noises similar to those that help me. Sometimes

smacking my mouth helps, but not often. I still can't get a hold of that noise,

even if it's me that's doing it. Most of the time that I have to mimic the noise

is at work, where pen clicking and computer tapping, etc is the norm so if I do

it, no one notices. There's a woman with a horrible smoker's cough that is

incessant to the point where I've thought that I was going to pass out because

of the pain that it puts me through to hear it. I did seriously consider taking

up smoking to try to mimic it, but luckily I still have most of my facilities

about me and know that is the foolish thing to do. I've worn ear plugs and had a

fan running at my desk for white noise to try to drown out the noise, and while

it helps, it's not fool proof. Additionally, there is a man in another office a

few doors down that whispers to his wife on the phone and I can hear the " sss "

noises of his whispers all the way where I am sitting (even with the fan on and

ear plugs in!!!). I find myself hissing " sss " noises occasionally but I still

hate it and have to stop pretty quickly. I've always wondered why I seem to be

the only one who hears it, but now that I'm finding out that everyone really

does hear it but their brains don't process it as a threat so that they don't

recognize it as a sound (like we don't feel our clothes when we're wearing them

unless they're uncomfortable) makes me feel a whole lot better!

>

> OK, I just learned about

> Misophonia yesterday...and when you said that when

> you MIMIC a trigger

> sound, it helps to difuse the pain, that sure hit another cord with me THAT

> I HAD NO IDEA OTHER PEOPLE HAD TOO!

> As I've gotten older I do that less and

> less, but it's certainly been part of my " coping

> mechanism " for

> these triggers. It's

> almost as if my mimicking a noise neutralised its impact on me. It wasn't

ever

> repeating someones WORDS, but rather SOUNDS (the

> " sssss " or high singing tone or the open

> mouth chewing sound,

> etc). I usually left

> the room to do the mimicking, trying not to offend, but

> I really could not get that offending sound out of my

> head very easily without that mimicking. So...it TOO has a

> name????

>

> Thanks for bringing this up....I had NO

> IDEA!

>

> Judi

>

> I was wondering what everyone's take on echolalia is. It's a

> part of my misophonia/4s that I've tried to downplay for a long time, because

as

> soon as people find out that it helps me they immediately tell me that the

whole

> " situation " is in my head. While I've been lucky in a lot of my relationships

> that people are willing to listen to what I'm going through and they ask

> questions to try to understand, I know inherently that they don't. I recently

> finished grad school (I'm 29) and as an adult I've had to explain to a lot of

> people why they can't chew (gum) around me, or why I can't meet for group

> projects in certain locations because I know that inevitably I will become

> enraged by things that they don't even hear. When I

> get to the point where I feel that I have to mimic the sound to lessen my pain

> and rage, then that sets off the whole mental diagnosis from others - if I can

> " stand the noise " when I make it, then it must be all in my

> head. Most people are quick and ready to diagnose me with OCD,

> anxiety, stress, or just straight up " bitchiness " when I explain to them what

I

> am feeling. It's extremely hard to admit it, even to close friends and family

> who already know, because they take it so personally. It's like I'm telling

them

> that I hate their face or something.

>

> Interestingly, no matter what, I

> cannot chew gum. I can't do it to alleviate the sounds of other people doing

it,

> and I even have nightmares that for whatever reason someone forces me to chew

> gum and I wake up horrified and exhausted like I had been sobbing for hours.

>

> On that note, I am also really interested to hear about other people's

> reaction to the visual triggers - again, when I see someone chew gum but

cannot

> actually hear it, I get the same reaction. Naturally, this spurs the backseat

> doctor diagnosis from friends and family. If it is a sensory processing

disorder

> and this is a common effect of it, I am really interested to know more about

> that. The more that I learn that other people are experiencing exactly what I

> am, the more i feel that this is not something that is my fault or that is

> within my control. I am so grateful for this forum; it's almost like you all

can

> read my thoughts!

>

September 10, 2011

Hi

I always mimic the hissy 'S " sound. Not for the offender to hear but for my own

satisfaction, as if to mock them. I have that mimicking going on within a

microsecond of hearing that sound. If I'm in a public place, I casually put my

hand over my mouth so nobody can see me doing it. The truth is, I am unable to

stop myself from doing it.

If seems to automatically kick into gear without me even thinking about it. I

hate that I do this! I feel like some kind of a nut but I really can't stop it.

Anyway, I want you to know that I'm right there with you in the mimicking

department.

Regards

Elaine

> >

> > OK, I just learned about

> > Misophonia yesterday...and when you said that when

> > you MIMIC a trigger

> > sound, it helps to difuse the pain, that sure hit another cord with me THAT

> > I HAD NO IDEA OTHER PEOPLE HAD TOO!

> > As I've gotten older I do that less and

> > less, but it's certainly been part of my " coping

> > mechanism " for

> > these triggers. It's

> > almost as if my mimicking a noise neutralised its impact on me. It wasn't

ever

> > repeating someones WORDS, but rather SOUNDS (the

> > " sssss " or high singing tone or the open

> > mouth chewing sound,

> > etc). I usually left

> > the room to do the mimicking, trying not to offend, but

> > I really could not get that offending sound out of my

> > head very easily without that mimicking. So...it TOO has a

> > name????

> >

> > Thanks for bringing this up....I had NO

> > IDEA!

> >

> > Judi

> >

> > I was wondering what everyone's take on echolalia is. It's a

> > part of my misophonia/4s that I've tried to downplay for a long time,

because as

> > soon as people find out that it helps me they immediately tell me that the

whole

> > " situation " is in my head. While I've been lucky in a lot of my

relationships

> > that people are willing to listen to what I'm going through and they ask

> > questions to try to understand, I know inherently that they don't. I

recently

> > finished grad school (I'm 29) and as an adult I've had to explain to a lot

of

> > people why they can't chew (gum) around me, or why I can't meet for group

> > projects in certain locations because I know that inevitably I will become

> > enraged by things that they don't even hear. When I

> > get to the point where I feel that I have to mimic the sound to lessen my

pain

> > and rage, then that sets off the whole mental diagnosis from others - if I

can

> > " stand the noise " when I make it, then it must be all in my

> > head. Most people are quick and ready to diagnose me with OCD,

> > anxiety, stress, or just straight up " bitchiness " when I explain to them

what I

> > am feeling. It's extremely hard to admit it, even to close friends and

family

> > who already know, because they take it so personally. It's like I'm telling

them

> > that I hate their face or something.

> >

> > Interestingly, no matter what, I

> > cannot chew gum. I can't do it to alleviate the sounds of other people doing

it,

> > and I even have nightmares that for whatever reason someone forces me to

chew

> > gum and I wake up horrified and exhausted like I had been sobbing for hours.

> >

> > On that note, I am also really interested to hear about other people's

> > reaction to the visual triggers - again, when I see someone chew gum but

cannot

> > actually hear it, I get the same reaction. Naturally, this spurs the

backseat

> > doctor diagnosis from friends and family. If it is a sensory processing

disorder

> > and this is a common effect of it, I am really interested to know more about

> > that. The more that I learn that other people are experiencing exactly what

I

> > am, the more i feel that this is not something that is my fault or that is

> > within my control. I am so grateful for this forum; it's almost like you all

can

> > read my thoughts!

> >

>

September 10, 2011

Hi,

Echolalia is a part of my Misophonia too. It definitely helps to diffuse some of

the anger while sometimes helping to mask the offending noise. My mom however

doesn't understand and will say " STOP MOCKING ME! It is annoying, rude, and

extremely unbecoming of a young lady! " My family has no idea how hard it is for

me to sit through lunch or dinner with them especially when there are crunchy

foods. I thought the Echolalia was just something I did myself but learning that

there are several other people who do the same thing is kind of comforting. At

least there are some people who understand me. My dad still thinks this is a

made up disorder. I guess I'll just have to work on him to get him to believe

and understand me.

Thanks

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> I was wondering what everyone's take on echolalia is. It's a part of my