Who is Miss Ophonia? My wife is. So, I have a wife. A wonderful patient woman who puts up with me every day. I know that here, making fun of things 500 words at a time, I must seem like I’m the perfect guy. (You all were thinking that, right?) But to her, I’m a constant collection of irritating noises. I breath too loud. I chew too loud. My hair grows too loud.
According to WebMD, “Misophonia, also known as selective sound sensitivity syndrome, starts with a trigger. It’s often an oral sound — the noise someone makes when they eat, breathe, chew, yawn, or whistle. Sometimes a small repetitive motion is the cause — someone fidgets, jostles you, or wiggles their foot.” Like any disorder of the brain or body there is a spectrum. For a person with misophonia, reactions to these sounds can range from mild anxiety to rage.
See? If Kelly Ripa can have it, anybody can. Ironically, my only misophonia symptom is Kelly Ripa’s voice. It’s no wonder both Regis and Michael Strahan left her. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard.
It may seem like I’m writing this as a public service to educate others. I’m not. I’m writing it so that if I’m ever found stabbed to death with a mouth full of potato chips, or crisps as my UK friends say (I bloody love crisps), I want the police to immediately assume my wife is the perpetrator. I’m solving my own murder for them before it happens. See? I told you I was psychic.
Sorry for the language there, but that is exactly what a misophonic person would say. And just to clarify, I do chew with my mouth closed. It’s possible that I have unusually thin cheeks. That’s an excuse I’ve floated out there, but my wife is not buying it.
I imagine that having misophonia is a lot like when you’re watching a TV show and the camera zooms in on a chewing mouth and they up the volume so that it is unbearably loud. Try this video for just ten seconds.
That is likely what your chewing sounds like to a misophonic. So is it your problem, or theirs? That’s the debate. To them you sound like you’re chewing cereal with your mouth open. To you, you can barely hear yourself chew.
This disorder effects one in ten people. Is there a cure? Right now, there isn’t. But there are some therapies that may be helpful. You can learn more at Misophonia.com. Great (sigh) (but don’t sigh too loud of course) there’s help for them, but what about us? What about the husbands of misophonics? We need a support group! We need a place we can feel safe. In fact, I’m going to start a support group for husbands of misophonics. At every meeting I’ll serve potato chips and carrot sticks. We’ll slurp our drinks, chew gum, and exhale at any volume we want! At a group meeting:
Me: Hi everyone. My name is Phil and I’m the husband of a misophonic.
Other husbands: Crunch, crunch, crunch, slurp, chew chew, burp.
Misophonia wives, miles away at home: I can hear you! Stop chewing like that!
If you know a misophonic, that last bit was hilarious. Have a great Saturday and if you know a misophonic feel free to share this with them by hitting the Facebook, or Twitter button below. ~Phil
I wouldn’t have said before that I’m a misophonic, but I have a friend who is lovely, smart, friendly beautiful and successful, yet eats in a way that makes me want to shudder every time I’m near her. It’s not necessarily the chewing, it’s the slurping after she’s chewed everything to within an inch of its life – still remains one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever heard…
Hi, my name’s Suzie, and I’m a misophonic
If only one person bothers you, I’m not quite sure that qualifies as a disorder. And I strongly suspect that maybe why she still single. My wife is overly sensitive to sounds and almost all situations. But unfortunately at home it’s my chewing that drives her crazy.
I’ve told you about this before, but The Bloke is sensitive to EVERYTHING, noise, sound, the weather…
Aaaah! So you’re the suffering spouse! You’re both going to have to be very patient. BTW, did you get the “I bloody love crisps” line? It’s from a Miranda episode
Can’t believe you watch Miranda haha!
My wife loves is and has watched all the series several times.
Have you seen Dinnerladies?
No. Is it a tv show? Movie?
I don’t think being unable to be in the same room as anyone brushing their teeth qualifies me as misophonic but it might help to know that hearing that, for me, sends shivers down my spine akin to nails on a chalkboard. Electric toothbrushes toothbrushes are fine – they mask the godawful noise that I can’t even describe. Is it only your noises that your wife finds annoying or is it anyone’s?
Your hate of the toothbrushing sound does sound a little misophonic. With my wife, it’s not just me. She’s very sensitive to a lot of sounds in a lot of circumstances.
Probably shouldn’t write this down, but if my man is found dead it could possibly be from having chewed to loudly, breathing, biting his nails or something. It’s not just him that makes me crazy, but he’s the one most often on the recieving end of my anoyance.
Guilty! And that’s all I’m going to say on the matter. 😂
It seems to be very prevalent. I’m getting a lot of responses on FB too
See, your wife is not alone in this 😉
Yes, but I’m alone in this with my wife!
You’ll live LOL
How about others for the group, like children of the misophonia. This explains my Dad, who terrorized me growing up and the all his grandchildren who were terrified of him in the morning.
Not sure but I think the disease starts somewhere after the 20th year of marriage and gets progressively worse. More than one bowl of raisin brand crunch has been eaten in the garage. Super post, Phil.
Not food related but I can’t stand it when people have the text typing tones switched on on their mobile phones. Grrrrr
You could have misophonia!
I never heard of misophonia
Could not find any rhymes
But as for the disorder, well
I might be borderline.
Well done!
Yea, cheering is kinda bad. But one sound I can’t take–sparse clapping. HATE IT. Sometimes I have to mute the tv. Drives me nuts!! 🥜
Meant to say ‘chewing.’
LOL , I really thought you were talking about cheering because you followed it with the comment about sparse clapping.
Nope. For example. Clapping during the wheel of fortune game show. I mute it when that happens. I love the show. Haha!
I’m guilty as charged. I’m a misophonic (is that even a word?)
I’m overly sensitive to sound and even the cat can grate on my fragile hearing.
To make matters worse, I swear my husband is half-deaf and the noisiest person alive. He’s already warned our children that if he ever meets with foul play, they should tell the police to suspect me first 😉
I’m not sure if misophonic is a word. It’s seem to make sense and it sounded like a work when I typed it. If it does end up in the English language and dictionaries everywhere I take credit. You do sound very much like my wife. And I would guess to your ears I would sound very much like your husband.
I never thought about it before, but there are sounds I can’t stand. We were driving in the rain the other day (yes, it actually rained in Southern California!), and the windshield wipers made a squeaky sound every time they wiped to the left. It made me so tense, and my jaw hurt from clenching my teeth.
Hmm… you may want to ask your doctor if misophonia is right for you!
Awesome!
I used to have a colleague who had an.isdue with heating me breathe!!! Erm sorry.. . Can’t change that Lol!!!
How DARE you breath Ritu!
I know… I mean really…. I should be more considerate shouldn’t I??? 😉
I think I need to show this to my ever patient lovely husband 🙂 He will be laughing after reading this post 🙂
Haha. The two noises my husband makes that drive me insane are 1) The incessant tapping he does whilst only on the phone to his Mother 2) when he takes 900 years to finish a yogurt pot, scraping every last bit of yogurt from the bottom of the pot. It’s like “JUST FINISH THE YOGURT ALREADY!” I swear he does it on purpose. I have to keep away from knives when he eats yogurt. He’s so lucky to have me.
I’m not misophonic, but I still laughed out loud at the last bit.
Had I not heard of the condition for the first time only last week, I might have thought you were having us on. Sadly, you’re not.
If your wife is a fan of Miranda, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with her. Such fun.
LOL
Oh that felt good. I’ve developed misophonia only just recently. So far it’s only my husband’s chewing that turns me into a sock monkey.
It’s odd that you developed it in adulthood. (I assume you’re an adult)
I’m self-diagnosed via your post so I might not actually have it. All I know is that sometimes I want to run out of the room screaming…
You might be. A lot of people aren’t aware of it. And there are more symptoms than I touched on.
So what do you do when you eat together? Play loud music to drown out the sounds??
By the way, never take your wife to Japan. The noodle slurping would drive her mad!
You’re right. Noodle slurping would drive her crazy. We do eat together but I avoid eating crunchy things around her
Wow there’s a disorder for everything and there I thought spouses were just annoying:)
Hi Phil that was bloody funny! It’s not only husband’s that get nagged! I (a wife and female) get nagged for exhaling too loudly when stressed! Can I come to your meeting?
Me : my name is willow and I exhale!
You and the others : Pheeeeeeeeeew chomp chomp slurp slurp 🤗💗💜
Of course! All are welcome!
Reblogged this on willowdot21 and commented:
A got to read post from Phil Taylor
Wow! Thanks for re-blog!
I really enjoyed the post I posted it on my FB page too 💗
Wow! Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it.
I did 💜
I do not have this, but something similar when I get certain migraines… my hearing gets so sensitive that even with earplugs in I can hear everything. And every noise is the worst noise ever, which makes me super cranky when people try to talk to me. Fire comes out of my eyes and mouth, it gets ugly.
So I kind of get it, is my point. And if you’re annoying her to that degree… nope, not gonna defend you or help you put her away for this totally justified future murder. Just learn to soak your chips before eating them, or give them up entirely.
They have a name for everything! Mine is when my husband claps EXTREMELY loud and adds 3-4 unneeded claps at the end. Just before I’m about to scream: STOP CLAPPING YOUR ANNOYING ME! He stops. I swear he does it on purpose.
I so get this….but from your good lady’s stand point!! Mine is hyperosmia – smells -and I drive my lot mad by constantly smelling things they say aren’t there!!! So we spend time searching our house for the gas leak, or the burning rubber, or fuel…..(hubby even told the doctor who sent me to a neurologist to check for epilepsy…Me: I am NOT going to have epilepsy on top of everything else!!) …that is always stuck up my nose only!!
I think the smell thing you have might even be more maddening
I have this. My husband chews every night just when I’m winding down and getting ready for bed. It drives me nuts. I have to resist rage. I can’t believe misophonia is an actual thing. See Phil, I am empowered by many of your posts, not just the political ones. I’m glad I came. Now I know why I am triggered by this.
Janice
Yes, it is a very real thing. Unfortunately there is no quick or easy cure
Chewing, lip smacking, rustling paper, loud breathing, OMG – sniffing, jangling keys, tapping feet, I mean, it is ok to just slap people for doing this right? My skin is crawling just at the thought.
My Plot has no idea how close he has diced with death for all of the above
I don’t think it qualifies as justifiable homicide
Just a good slap then… please 😎
Mr Plot – danged predictive text!
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As soon as my husband puts headphones on, he starts breathing louder. I think I must be one of your misophones…
LOL Phil. My wife has mild misophone elements hehehehe….
I’m wondering if all women do
Great post. I can imagine that would be so hard to know and when certain noises bother her more than others. Like tip-toeing around. I liked the star trek meme very funny. Glad to come across your blog at Janice’s blog party. I like to laugh so coming across a humorous blog is nice novelty; I’ve blogged for six-years and there are actually very few.
Thank you Mandi! I’m glad you like my blog. I shall come over and follow your blog immediately
Hehe thanks 🙂