New to group

[Guest guest]

Just joined a few days ago and have been reading many interesting posts from

other group members and find them remarkebly familiar to me. While I have never

been formally diagnosed with any sound sensitivity disorder, I can tell you I

began hating certain noises at a young age (around 9 is my best guess). My

biggest triggers are smacking lips while eating, sniffling, tapping on

keyboards, mouse, pens etc, and of course gum chewing. I have been dealing with

this for 27 of my 36 years on this planet and everyday it is a challenge to not

becomew angry with people. Those who are in my immediate family know my

triggers so they do their best to not do the things that set me off. Like

others have stated, if noises get to bad I go to a different room or where

earplugs. It was a challenge for me to get through school and college (not

academically) more so getting through the classes with all the various noises.

One thing I would do to cope with noise in public is mimic the sound that annoys

me, sometimes that helped to ease the anxiety a little bit. Now I just wear ear

phoness at work and listen to constant white noise or music. My wife actually

saw something about misophonia(sp?) on the today show and I began my research

which led me here. To those with children just try to be accomidating as

possible (understanding there are limits) and be supportive. My family always

thought I had some sort of psychological issue or told me I was crazy. You can

live with these issues it just takes perparation and perserverance and the hope

that treatment options may be available someday. I would give anything not to

have to subject the people I love to my varying moods based on my hatred of

certain sounds. Thanks

[Guest guest]

Hi there -

I think you're right to be concerned. How old is your daughter? Is she old

enough to understand that her misophonia is HER issue, not anyone else's? That

acting out doesn't help?

Yeah, we who share her symptoms and experiences get pissed off. Angry. Annoyed.

Our blood pressure spikes into the red zone. But unless the person making the

noise is aware of, and sympathetic to, her plight (neither is assured), her

reaction will be perceived as extreme. Bratty. Passive-aggressive. And what does

this accomplish? Nothing positive. It might feel good for her to express the

rage she's feeling at that very moment, but it won't do anything positive for

her personal and professional relationships. If she acts the way you describe in

professional situations, she'll be damn lucky to keep her cube, much less ever

have access to a boardroom.

Does she have awareness of what her triggers are? Can you help her brainstorm

how she might manage her triggers in a more productive and socially acceptable

way? In some situations - say, with family, or people you know well - you can

politely ask, " Could you please chew your gum more quietly? I find it very

distracting " and of course people are free to comply or not. Sometimes you can

move further away from the source of the annoyance. You can slip on your iPod or

noise-cancelling headphones when your cubemate slurps their pop, or choose that

time to run an errand, or chill in a bathroom stall for a few minutes. Sometimes

our only recourse is to remove ourselves from the situation - politely, because

stomping away like an angry child just makes you look rude and nuts - hardly

promotion material.

I guess one thing I've come to believe is that my misophonia is MY issue, no one

else's. I can't control others' behavior; I can only control mine. Others are

under no obligation to recognize or accommodate my tics - though I'm thankful

that my family and SO often do. That happened because I calmly and rationally

explained it to them.

I look forward to reading what others say about this issue. Your daughter is

lucky to have you!

-tam

>

> I need some advice. My daughter mimics sounds like sniffing, clearing throat

and coughing. She get mad at sounds like sucking on ice cubes, how people drink.

She glares at others who make those sounds and mimics theirs sounds at an

extreme level. I really do not understand and I don't want to make any angry. It

isn't good to act out in this way. She's brilliant and has a bright future. I

just want her to figure out how to deal with this problem. You can't go through

life and have top level career, glaring and copying sounds in the board room. Is

there anything we can do for her. I think that isolating herself from others is

a big mistake. Is there anything that may work for her.

[Guest guest]

Adah,

Are the "hearing aides" you mentioned the ones that cost a couple thousand dollars? The reason I'm asking is I'm not new, but newer than most and wondered if I missed something?

To: Soundsensitivity Sent: Mon, January 2, 2012 8:42:31 PMSubject: Re: New to Group

If I thought you would ever hit your kid, I wouldn't say that. Since you are here on her behalf, it's pretty obvious that you won't. If you are willing to allow her to wear headphones or earbuds then yes, white, pink, brown noise(s) could help her more easily tolerate being exposed to triggers. I suggest you google for free downloads to see if they help her. There are audiologists who can fit her for in-ear "hearing aids" which are actually noise generators. (Dr. J created a list of folks she has screened.) We are all in this together here, looking for answers, trying to get medical doctors involved and trying to get research started any way we can. I personally haven't heard anything that "works" and I have been working on this for years. We are getting publicity and I am staying in the solution, however my health insurance is limited and I am paying off last year's bills (a bad lead but now I can rule it out).If I were you, I'd be

extremely wary of anyone who promises a solution. There isn't one. This disorder limits your daughter's future only to the extent that you allow it to. Understand that she has a hard-wired adverse physical reflex to certain sounds. If you understand her she will be much happier and better adjusted. If she can come to you for comfort she'll be much better adjusted. If you complain that she should just get over it and do not allow her to protect herself within the privacy of her family, her life outside will be worse.> > > > > > >> > > > > > > Hi! I'm Lori and I'm delighted to have found this group,

especially since I just discovered that misophonia is a real medical condition and not that I'm just being "too sensitive" about certain sounds. I always wondered why the sound of someone popping or chomping their gum, cracking their joints, whistling or jingling coins in their pants pockets always made me want to go postal. It's good to know that I'm not alone in this affliction and it will be nice to communicate with people who understand.> > > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > >> > > >> > >> >>

[Guest guest]

I have to check. I think if it worked more people would be using them. The fact that no one really uses them speaks volumes. Thanks for the reply.

To: Soundsensitivity Sent: Tue, January 3, 2012 5:30:50 PMSubject: Re: New to Group

Hi ,Yes they are. But lately I have seen talk about ear buds that go in the ear (supposedly they come with different sized attachments for different sized ears) and some that are even wireless. This means that you could have an Ipod with colored noise and in-ear wireless buds. I don't know the cost but I'll bet it's a lot less than a couple of $thou: however it's not something individually created or molded for you so fit and comfort might be an issue. From what I've read, the technology is still pretty new and the "wirelessness" only goes as far as an armband. Is there anything in the archives on the Misophonia site? > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > Hi! I'm Lori and I'm delighted to have found this group, especially > >since I just discovered that misophonia is a real medical condition and not that > >I'm just being "too sensitive" about certain sounds. I always wondered why the > >sound of someone popping or chomping their gum, cracking their joints, whistling > >or jingling coins in their pants pockets always made me want to

go postal. It's > >good to know that I'm not alone in this affliction and it will be nice to > >communicate with people who understand.> > > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > >> > > >> > >> >>