BY ISABELLA BEELER

You’re sitting at the dinner table. You hear someone chewing with their mouth open. It makes you want to scream. A lot of people probably get annoyed at loud chewing to some extent. Others don’t understand why it annoys people. Some people get annoyed to the extreme when they hear chewing. That is called Misophonia. It’s a disorder where certain sounds trigger emotional or physiological responses that some might think of as unreasonable in the situation.

Imagine being stuck in a classroom. You’re not able to focus with people chewing gum and eating snacks. When some people hear noises like smacking, crunching, sniffing, or something tapping, it enrages them. It makes them want to leave the room, say something, give an irritated look, or make big outbursts. I struggle, but I don’t say anything unless I’m comfortable with them. If I’m comfortable with them, I let them know that they are smacking or ask them to try not to make noise. Sometimes I ask if they are stuffy. What I shouldn’t do is I sometimes mock them and show them the sound they are making. Noises make me irritated, make my blood boil, and make me want to leave the room.

Misophonia can’t be cured, but you can use coping strategies to help. Deep breathing, listening to music, focusing on a different noise, and leaving the room calmly for a bit are all ways to help. I have used these strategies and they have worked, but sometimes they don’t. It depends on the day and the mood I’m in. It is hard to deal with getting annoyed at noises all the time, but we need to be more understanding and nicer to the people making the noises and know that it is usually not their fault.

Do you want to make it better for people with Misophonia? Try to chew with your mouth closed. Some sounds you can’t help but make, just try your best. Also be understanding if someone is annoyed. It’s not the person who is making the noise, it’s the noise that bothers them.