I have a disorder. You all knew it, and we’ve spoken about it a few times over the last couple years. Some of you have it too. We just never slapped a label on it… until now.
It’s called “Misophonia“. Follow that link if you’re interested; it’s long, but really fascinating!
In a nutshell (whoah too close to home) a few words, Misophonia is translated literally as the “hatred of sound”. It is a disorder that has not yet been fully researched or clearly defined by the medical community. Some believe it to be a neurological condition, and others believe it to be a learned behaviour (psychological). Not enough study has been done to definitively give it a clear cause, so we’ll just call it a “disorder” and be done with it. It doesn’t really matter where it came from, anyway. Only that I have it!
So nice to have a name for it. Even nicer to know I can’t help it!
Naturally, I’ve always known that my reactions to gum chewing, and ill-mannered people who eat with their mouths open were a bit… over the top, you might say. The blinding rage, contempt, and instant nausea I feel when people make horrible mouth noises is almost debilitating. Perhaps this disorder was the basis for the development of good, civilized table manners? Makes sense to me.
Going to a movie and having bag-rustling popcorn munchers directly behind me is a nightmare. The Hubby gets stressed out the minute we sit down because of what I might do (loud sighing, giving the offending people “the eye”, or even turning and asking them – almost always politely mind you – if they would “PLEASE stop with the noise”). We haven’t been to an evening or weekend movie in eons – we have to go during the afternoon when we’re almost always the only people in the theatre, or we can at least put a dozen seats/rows between us and the next movie-goers.
The Hubby and I met up with some future neighbours of ours (we are both building homes in the same development) recently, and had an almost 2-hour coffee klatch. It’s notable for a few reasons – 1. Wee One was fantastic, and sat there quietly the entire time, playing Bubble Pop on my iPhone or just listening, 2. The guys are both not the most people-oriented (read: “does not play well with others”), and yet they hit it off and nattered on without a break the entire time like old friends, and 3. Jenn and I (yes, another Jenn) discovered that we are, essentially, the same person.
What this means, past the fact that once we’re living close to each other our husbands are screwed now that there’s 2 of us, is that our neighbors will either love us, or loathe us. If they’re loud, or allow their dogs to bark incessantly, they’re gonna loathe us, trust me.
This new friendship is kind of scary, actually. Jenn and I think the same way. When we arranged to meet, we showed up wearing the same salmon colour on top (not the same shirt though). We’re about the same height, essentially the same body type, and both have short dark hair. She’s younger than me, but past that we are the same person… right down to an intense hatred of people who eat with their mouths open.
Jenn… you have Misophonia too. Welcome to the club, my friend.
