By Avery Grunert, Guest Writer
If there is one thing in this world that grinds my gears to the max, it is the sounds that come out of a human head.
Yes, the head. I’m talking breathing, sniffling, chewing, sucking — literally anything.
A few years ago, I would catch myself getting triggered by these sounds. It all started with my brother, who would not close his dang mouth when he chewed. It bothered me so much I would become filled with rage anytime we had family dinner.
I have still not gotten over this pet peeve, and to this day, my reaction to head noises is something that I really cannot control.
The smallest things get me so angry, though I have to be either in a bad mood or really bored to even hear them. My brother in law is aware that this is my pet peeve, so to make me mad, he will purposefully sniffle around me or come up and bite into a chip right in my ear.
I could never figure out why it made me so angry, so I started to do some research. It turns out I have a phobia called misophonia. Yes, it's a real thing — a condition characterized by an intense dislike or hatred of specific sounds known as “trigger sounds.”
It has gotten so bad over the years. I have broken up with people because I could not stand how they ate. I have left family dinners and eaten alone to get away from the sounds. Noise-canceling headphones are a staple at Thanksgiving dinner. No, I am not crazy. I just would rather be a happy camper than a grouchy person.
The people in my life now know about my problem, and most are cautious about it when
around me – except my mom. If I start to hear her eating or scraping her teeth on her fork (why do people do this? I do not get it!) all I have to do is give her “the eyes” and she knows what I'm thinking. I try not to make it a big deal, but sometimes it really is unavoidable.
Pringles, carrots, gum and crackers are the worst foods anyone can ingest around me. Jolly
Ranchers, suckers and Starburst also are no-gos. One of my high school best friends would always get candy after lunch, and I would be able to hear it from across the room. I’d have to bite my tongue to keep from lashing out in class.
I know this sounds crazy, and it may seem like I am overreacting, but I like to talk about misophonia because some people don't even know they have it.
There are many things you can do to help yourself, such as headphones at the dinner table, which sounds crazy but is sometimes really helpful. The best thing to do is figure out which sounds bother you the most so you can either avoid them or identify them right when they start to happen.
It is okay to tell people that their head noises bother you.
At least they will know, even though there's no guarantee they will stop.
PHOTO: Dannicka McGrath, Photo Editor
