You don’t need to have a psychological disorder to find it disgusting when people chew with their mouth open. It looks nasty, sounds nasty, and it doesn’t exactly scream ‘respect’ to those around you.
A phenomenon that’s almost as annoying, if not more so, is actors chewing with their mouths open in film and TV. That’s a story for another time, but it’s safe to say it’s not an Oscar-winning quality.
All that said, if you find it unbearable to hear someone chewing, even with their mouth closed, you might have a psychological disorder known as ‘misophonia’.
It goes beyond being a surface-level irritation, causing an ‘extreme’ reaction. It’s not just about wishing everyone had good manners, either.
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What is misophonia?
Misophonia specifically refers to anger that comes from hearing particular sounds.
The NHS describes it as: “An extreme emotional reaction to certain everyday sounds that most people would find relatively easy to ignore. The three main types of sounds that disturb people with misophonia are eating, nose and throat sounds, and repetitive environmental sounds like keyboard tapping and rustling paper.
“Whilst many people find these noises annoying, individuals with misophonia describe an intense feeling of disgust, anger, distress, or panic that escalates while the sound is still present. This can happen even when the sound is at a very low volume.
“They report physical sensations similar to a flight or fight response, including racing heart, shortness of breath, tension, feeling hot, and sometimes an unwanted groinal response. They often describe a feeling trapped, helpless, and out of control when they can’t get away from these sounds.”
Can misophonia be treated?
The NHS says that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may be helpful for treating misophonia, particularly if the condition is causing distress in people’s day to day.
It’s theorised that the issue is caused by unusual sensory processing, with heightened attention placed on particular sounds that could signal contamination, illness, the potential to spread diseases, or a potential predator.
In effect, the sounds trigger a flight or fight response for some people, and there’s some potential for that to be treated via CBT.
"In particular, therapy can help if the impact of the sound exists even when the sound is not present (e.g., taking a long time to wind down from a reaction, worrying about sounds in advance, or having lasting impacts on work or relationships),” says the NHS.
While it’s natural to find it annoying when people don’t exercise manners in public, it’s the intense, anxiety-adjacent response that signals it’s more than just typical frustration with rudeness. If you think you may have misophonia, book an appointment with a GP to get the ball rolling on potential remedies.
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Rachael Davis