When Eating Crisps Can Provoke a Violent Response
The extortionary case of Misophonia
Just the rustling of a nearby crisp packet was enough to trigger my inner Hulk.
“Breathe,” I told myself. Then it happened.
The packet opened and the crisp was going into the mouth of the random person that was sitting across from me on the train.
The overall urge to throat punch them was insatiable. I moved seats. I had to. For their sake.
Misophonia. I had never heard of it before studying psychology. It made total sense to me.
I am not a violent person, but certain sounds activated real aggression in me.
I had a real dislike for the sound of people eating. Not all foods just the crunchie kind.
Although that said people who sound like drains when they drink their tea really piss me off too.
Depending on my mood if you breathe loudly that will properly annoy me.
I remember announcing that popcorn should be f**king banned from the cinema.
It was my way of warning the person next to me that they were in grave danger of wearing the popcorn box as a hat — if they did not stop munching down my ear!
Needless to say, they quickly swapped seats.
This is a very real and distressing disorder for those of us that suffer.
The number of times I have snapped at people whose only crime was being too close to me when they eat.
The guilt that comes with suffering from misophonia is underestimated.
Prior to my treatment, I felt that I almost needed a warning sign attached to me that read ‘Danger, do not eat near this person’.
So, What Causes Misophonia?
I am not sure when and how misophonia started for me.
What I do know is it is common for people with other mental health conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders to suffer.
At one point it got so bad for me that I had to eat alone. Although I would even annoy myself with the sound of my own chewing.
A study by Kumar et al.(2017) showed that people who suffer from misophonia had an overactive anterior insular cortex — this is basically the part of the brain that connects our emotions and senses. When people heard triggering sounds their heartbeats would race, experience shaking, an increase in blood pressure, and temperature would rise slightly.
‘This study demonstrates the critical brain changes as further evidence to convince a skeptical medical community that this is a genuine disorder.’
— Dr Sukhbinder Kumar, from the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University
Interestingly, people with tinnitus are also at a higher risk of developing misophonia.
Tinnitus is the term used for people who hear a buzzing, humming, or whooshing sound within the ear that has no external cause.
According to the British Tinnitus Association, at least 30% of the population could suffer from this at some stage in their lives.
A link to autism
Misophonia is a newly diagnosed disorder — so new in fact that my spell check doesn’t even recognize it!
Some children and adults with autism can struggle with sensory overload and have a real dislike for loud and sudden noises.
So, could there be a link here between misophonia and autism?
It would be great to see more research done in this area.
Misophonia treatments
When I did my diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) alongside my psychology degree I focused on my misophonia.
I realized I can not stop people from eating in front of me, but what I could change is my response to this.
I found CBT to be a pretty effective therapy for me alongside mindful breathing and gradual exposure techniques.
Being open and honest with family and friends about the disorder is also crucial.
I am now able to eat with others, but that said I do get good days and bad days. If I want to eat alone it’s probably for the best.
Other things that can help...
Earplugs or headphones!
Joining a misophonia support group.
Educating yourself, family, and friends about the disorder and putting a support plan in place.
Learning breathing techniques and removing yourself if possible from the trigger — if it gets too much.
Seeking professional support
If you feel you are easily triggered to the point of extreme anger when you hear someone eat or other noises I would advise you to seek advice from a medical professional.
About the Creator
Trisha Dunbar
Rambling of written words | Reader of things | Drinker of coffee | Doer of stuff | Welcome to my profile 😊
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