also new to the group

[Guest guest]

The sense of relief I feel after reading these posts and articles is

overwhelming. Chewing noises have bothered me for as long as I can remember and

my family ridiculed me for it when I was a child. My brothers even arranged for

their friends to chew with their mouths open in front of me. Even now in my

mid-forties I also find myself scoping out a situation to avoid people chewing

gum. Work is pure torture on certain days when I'm scheduled to work with a

bunch of women who believe that chewing gum causes weight loss. One of the

women calls herself a " gum fanatic. "

For years I felt as if I had learned to hate chewing noises from my mother and

two older siblings because none of them chew with their mouths closed. Then

when I was in college I had a roommate who slurped jelly from the side of a

peanut butter & jelly sandwich and I thought my hair was literally standing up.

My heart was racing and my hands were gripping the arms of the chair almost

instantly. I realized there are noises that just set me off and I can't think

of any unpleasant event associated with them.

Gum chewing and popping, fork biting, loud breathing, and sniffling make me

crazy and I for many years I was too ashamed to tell anyone about it because I

thought I was crazy and the only person who felt this way. Just knowing I'm not

the only one makes me feel better.

Over time I've given up many activities because I can't stand to be somewhere

that is likely to be filled with gum chewers: movies, going to malls, even the

gym. People thought it strange that I couldn't stand to take the subway and

preferred to walk anywhere regardless of the temperature. I can barely stand to

be on a plane.

My dream is that if people become aware there are many others disturbed by

certain behaviors that maybe gum chewing and such will be less acceptable at

work.

karen

[Guest guest]

Isn't it amazing to find all these people who suffer with the same thing? I can

totally relate to what you are saying about your mom and siblings. My mom's

gulping drove me crazy, and then any eating from my family as I was growing up.

Then, ice chewing, nail biting and any kind of gum chewing. I just can't believe

how many people I've come across in the last week (on this support board and one

other) that have this thing--in almost exactly the same way as me!