Research reveals why some find the sound of others eating so irritating
firemonkey
Citizen
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/may/24/research-reveals-why-some-find-the-sound-of-others-eating-so-irritatingScientists have shed light on why everyday sounds such as chewing, drinking and breathing can be so maddening to some people that it drives them to despair.
While the familiar munching and slurping of the dinner table are innocuous enough to most, those with misophonia – literally a hatred of sound – can find them profoundly irritating, to the point that they become disgusted, anxious, angry and even violent.
Now, brain scans performed by researchers at Newcastle University have revealed that people with misophonia have stronger connectivity between the part of the brain that processes sounds and the part of the so-called premotor cortex which handles mouth and throat muscle movements.
Comments
I never imitated such sounds though, I just want to get away from the offending noise and the person making it as fast as possible and at all costs.
Because of this, not having table manners is a big deal-breaker for me in any kind of relationship. I know it's not necessarily reflective of a person's character, but I just can't deal with it
For people who have children (or partners) with misophonia, I strongly recommend you don't take this personally or try to force them to "get used to it", it will make things much worse.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3553052/
Just my experience since I've been struggling with this since I was a child:
1. The intensity. As I said, most people would be bothered by slurping, smacking, open-mouth chewing etc, but they are able to tolerate it if they have to. I can't: if someone tries to force me to sit through it, I can't eat or concentrate on anything else but the sound. It kind of intensifies in my head, drowns everything else and literally becomes unbearable. It has some kind of cumulative effect on me and I end up feeling actual hate towards the person doing it, whom I can only perceive at the time as a torturer. I used to throw up as a child because of this.
2. Depending on your culture, environment etc, a lot of people have decent table manners and make an effort when they're out or in front of strangers, but turn into a spectacle at home or in environments where they can "relax". No matter how nicely or politely you try to address the issue, most will get angry or mortally offended by any observation. I've seen a lot of parents online doing this in regards to their autistic children (jumping straight into irrational anger: "My child refuses to eat with us because I apparently eat like a pig"). For me, it was a factor in refusing to attend certain family events where such people participate.
3. There are some differences in how people chew naturally - I understand your teeth and jaw can play a part. I've met some "furious masticators" and don't get me started on people chewing gum while talking
4. There's a lot of pressure from others to "get over it", claims it's not a big deal, that you're just being a fussy arsehole or even attempts to cure you through exposure
It's interesting that misophonia can take many forms, but being repelled by loud eating noises seems to be the most common. For me, the sensation is very different from the one I get from loud noises for example or other types of sensorial overload.