If You Hate Hearing People Chew, You May Have Misophonia

I wish I knew what the deal is with the way my husband sometimes chews his food. I know- if the way he eats is my biggest issue, my life is actually pretty awesome. And while that is very true, thanks to science, I now know that the irritation I feel when I hear the crunching coming from Jay's mouth is an actual medical condition.

I'm a huge stickler for proper manners because they were drilled into me from a young age by both my grandma and mom. Chewing with my mouth closed was the biggest thing I was taught, and so it really irritates me when someone chomps their teeth like they're a cow with their mouth wide open. I don't care if you're a princess or a cowboy- chew with your mouth closed. Please.

I'm comforted to know that I'm not the only one who's chest gets tight when I'm around loud eaters. I stumbled on an article in the New York Times in which the author expressed her frustration with the fact that people thought she was just being ridiculous when she'd complain about loud eating. However, this is a real medical condition. See, it's not all in my head!

The name for this condition is 'misophonia,' which means 'hatred of sound.'  This is a  sensitivity disorder that causes sufferers to be driven to distraction by certain noises. Kind of like the way some people cringe and get angry when they hear the sound of nails on a chalkboard.

[via New York Times/Misophonia]