misophonia etiquette

[Anonymous]

Why do you insist on sitting in the bleachers if this is so maddening?

[Anonymous]

I do think that people listening to videos or music or whatever in public should wear earphones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My teen DD was fitted with hearing aids to help with misophonia and they have been a game-changer. Basically instead of amplifying sound, they emit a low level noise that has been adjusted to mask the frequencies of sound that irritate her but keep her exposed so she learns to tolerate them. They are so discrete, no one knows she's wearing them. And we got them in her 504 for school so she can wear them for tests (which have been excruciating in the past because the ambient noise in the room is removed and all that's left is all the sounds that drive her nuts).

Before having these, she used AirPod pros to do noise canceling. Noise canceling doesn't keep you exposed to the irritating sounds so you don't learn to tolerate them. But they absolutely were better than endlessly suffering.

It was the audiology clinic associated with UNC Pittsboro - one of the few places in the country that address this effectively.

My god. That sounds heavenly. I'm happy for your child, and also jealous and slightly irate that the knowledge is out there but not available to everyone. I'd love to be able to tune out whistling and a few other noises (I feel kind of mean spirited naming them because they all come from my husband). Whistling though, that nonsense should be illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My teen DD was fitted with hearing aids to help with misophonia and they have been a game-changer. Basically instead of amplifying sound, they emit a low level noise that has been adjusted to mask the frequencies of sound that irritate her but keep her exposed so she learns to tolerate them. They are so discrete, no one knows she's wearing them. And we got them in her 504 for school so she can wear them for tests (which have been excruciating in the past because the ambient noise in the room is removed and all that's left is all the sounds that drive her nuts).

Before having these, she used AirPod pros to do noise canceling. Noise canceling doesn't keep you exposed to the irritating sounds so you don't learn to tolerate them. But they absolutely were better than endlessly suffering.

It was the audiology clinic associated with UNC Pittsboro - one of the few places in the country that address this effectively.

My god. That sounds heavenly. I'm happy for your child, and also jealous and slightly irate that the knowledge is out there but not available to everyone. I'd love to be able to tune out whistling and a few other noises (I feel kind of mean spirited naming them because they all come from my husband). Whistling though, that nonsense should be illegal.

NP. But I totally agree re whistling. Who in the world thinks anyone wants to hear that! I also have hearing aids, and have not checked to see if you can program them to emit white noise. But mine have a delightful feature where you can turn them down to -8 so you hear nothing. Great for riding with people who like to sing in cars. I suspect you can get over the counter ones that do this, so it’s worth googling or talking to an audiologist. They are all but undetectable.

[Anonymous]

I have misophonia. I would either sit away or wear earplugs in this situation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try Loop earplugs, they're not quite as conspicuous .

I got these and I don't understand how they are better than the regular cheap ones you buy in a pack of 50 from CVS. Same cheap material, $40 more.

What? They are different material and shape then anything I've gotten from CVS (assuming you mean the foam ones?). The foam ones fall out of my ears, and never fit properly. My loop ones are great, totally worth the money - I sleep in them every night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spring sports are starting up, which means it's almost time for me to sit on bleachers and listen to siblings watch videos on their parents' phones, all while trying to avoid having a stroke. Seriously, I cannot the sound. Can't explain the rage I feel. Not attending isn't an option. Can I wear noise-canceling headphones? It looks so rude, but as anyone who has misophonia knows, the triggers are awful.

Is that what’s wrong with me? I loathe the speaker audio on phones. Going to a restaurant or any event where kids are running around with videos playing drives me insane.

+1 I sat with my jaw clenched through basketball practice last night. It seemed rude to move away from the family who sat down near me and then turned two devices on for their children. The sound makes me nauseous, disoriented, and angry. Is that misophonia? I can go to a rock concert and tolerate loud sounds quite well, but multiple phone speakers sends me over the edge.
I do have loop earplugs so good reminder to try them next time.

Sounds like!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spring sports are starting up, which means it's almost time for me to sit on bleachers and listen to siblings watch videos on their parents' phones, all while trying to avoid having a stroke. Seriously, I cannot the sound. Can't explain the rage I feel. Not attending isn't an option. Can I wear noise-canceling headphones? It looks so rude, but as anyone who has misophonia knows, the triggers are awful.

Is that what’s wrong with me? I loathe the speaker audio on phones. Going to a restaurant or any event where kids are running around with videos playing drives me insane.

+1 I sat with my jaw clenched through basketball practice last night. It seemed rude to move away from the family who sat down near me and then turned two devices on for their children. The sound makes me nauseous, disoriented, and angry. Is that misophonia? I can go to a rock concert and tolerate loud sounds quite well, but multiple phone speakers sends me over the edge.
I do have loop earplugs so good reminder to try them next time.

Yes I think so!

[Anonymous]

CBT (including habituation and exposure) can help. If it’s really bad you might want to look into it!

[Anonymous]

I absolutely cannot handle my daughter’s volleyball tournaments. I already have hearing issues with background noise but being in a room for 10-12 hours, 2-3 days in a row, with hundreds of people screaming, whistles and other noise gives me migraines.

I wear regular orange ear plugs, the squishy kind. It has made an enormous difference.

[Anonymous]

This is so interesting! My DH has this. He also ALWAYS sits away from everyone else at our kid's sports games, which frankly leaves me feeling embarrassed among the other families. (I'm sure they all think we're divorced or he's anti-social.) I never connected it to the misophonia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CBT (including habituation and exposure) can help. If it’s really bad you might want to look into it!

This actually makes misophonia worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so interesting! My DH has this. He also ALWAYS sits away from everyone else at our kid's sports games, which frankly leaves me feeling embarrassed among the other families. (I'm sure they all think we're divorced or he's anti-social.) I never connected it to the misophonia.

OP here. This is what I worry about! I don't want to embarrass anyone or be seen as weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're lucky your trigger isn't smacking lips while eating and live with a husband that refuses to acknowledge he does this. I've almost given up being able to be in the same room while he eats at all

When people annoy you, you leave or deal, you don’t expect them to change. That’s naïve.

NO ONE ELSE makes those disgusting noises when they eat . I can be around literally anyone else but someone that makes that noise and it's downright rude and gross and uncouth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're lucky your trigger isn't smacking lips while eating and live with a husband that refuses to acknowledge he does this. I've almost given up being able to be in the same room while he eats at all

When people annoy you, you leave or deal, you don’t expect them to change. That’s naïve.

NO ONE ELSE makes those disgusting noises when they eat . I can be around literally anyone else but someone that makes that noise and it's downright rude and gross and uncouth.

Two issues: misophonia sucks, but some people are just disgusting when they eat, yes.