This is a personal inquiry related to a person in my life who gets emotionally upset (states having feelings of aggression) whenever hearing open-mouthed chewing sounds. Could this be due to previous pairing with an aversive stimulus (something in the individual's past)? Or is this a common problem for some people? The extent to which it affects this person seems more extreme than I can understand, because this person has to either leave the room or put on headphones and loud music to avoid having to hear the sound, thus avoiding or prolonging the emotional reaction.
Any insight on this type of issue? Any suggestions for treatment? Systematic desensitization perhaps? I'd appreciate any kind of advice. Thanks!
There is a lot of interest on this topic lately on the internet-- see misophonia or 4S (Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome). This is a baffling, common and very distressing syndrome. Most puzzling of all, I cannot find any description of this syndrome in the psychiatric literature until quite recently.
There is a whole page article in The Sun May 21 2015 p5 which makes no mention of misophonia, yet which must be the obvious explanation for this bizarre case:
An airline "pilot who drowned and cut up his neighbours' dog because he was tired of its barking was dubbed an "evil, deceitful psycho"...
"I just had to stop the noise" he said. "I never thought about the consequences"
A large photo of him was labelled "Animal".
There is, however, an interesting question. Would it have helped if he had claimed in court to have had misophonia, or would this have attracted even more hostility and anger towards himself?
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