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Misophonia has become a serious problem in my life. There's a person, who is totally great, and who is friends with all my friends and gets invited to everything I'm invited to, that I cannot be around for long periods because when they laugh my brain instantly jumps to an emotion not too far from blind rage.

I don't know what to do about this; it's very intense and basically preventing me from doing most social activities, even things in my own house.

in reply to Ben Weinstein-Raun

Ben Weinstein-Raun
Ben Weinstein-Raun
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I've never had a reaction this strong to any other specific person; this isn't a problem I have in general, it's just this one person's laugh.
in reply to Ben Weinstein-Raun

Soccum Speleodontidae
Soccum Speleodontidae
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Hmm, is "misophonia" the word for how I feel when I hear the old iOS default alarm sound, which has wrenched me out from [insufficient] sleep enough times that now whenever I hear it, it evokes some kind of deep-rooted immediate "ahhh! oh no!" response that I'm not quite sure how to describe?
in reply to Soccum Speleodontidae

Ben Weinstein-Raun
Ben Weinstein-Raun
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Maybe? Though I have a similar reaction to an alarm sound from high school, which is less "rage" and more "sensation of falling or wrenching". My guess is that they're at least a bit different. Other things that trigger the "rage" variety for me, but less strongly:

  • Top-10% motorcycle noise, or car exhaust noise when the muffler / catalytic converter is gone
  • Being in a room with at least 5 people, where at least three are having a loud conversation that doesn't include me, and at least one is trying to talk to me about something nontrivial
  • My brother used to crack his knuckles a lot; back then it would trigger this, though more recently I seem more fine with knuckle cracking.
in reply to Ben Weinstein-Raun

kip
kip
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Sorry to hear it, this sounds very inconvenient and also socially very difficult to approach

My misophonia feelings have varied over the years FWIW. Certain mouth sounds bothered me a few years ago, then they didn't stand out again til a few weeks ago. But my thing has always been much milder than the thing you're describing.

Have you tried loop earplugs? I think they say they can help with misophonia, and my friend with more widespread misophonia said they help a bit. Idk if they'd help with someone's laugh though.

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