The slurping, crunching, smacking noise of eating

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Apologies if this has already been posted somewhere on here; but as this is a big part of my symptoms, I wondered if anyone else identified with it, and what they do to deal with it...

I have an intense dislike for the sound of people eating. Not just the particularly messy, noisy mouth-open chewers (surely everyone hates them), but pretty much anyone eating. I'm repulsed by the sight of people putting food in their mouth, chewing, pulling apart food, biting it and any part of it. The sound is the worst, though; the slurping, crunching, "smacking" of tongue on roof of mouth etc . . . it's like my brain and ears automatically focus on it and I have to make a conscious effort to concentrate on another sound. I put music on when eating at my Parents', or if we have people round for a meal, and I turn up the TV when eating with my other half. It's all an internal thing, I don't exhibit any signs of disgust, I can keep it all inside, but it goes through me like fingernails on a blackboard.

Anyone else?

I avoid family dinners on Thanksgiving or Christmas because of this. They never have music playing; the house is completely silent.

I can barely stand the sound of my own eating while I'm in my own apartment, so imagine the horror of hearing 4 or 5 other people eating AT THE SAME TIME with no other sounds to drown it out.

Noisey eaters, and people that inhale it like a vacuum cleaner is repulsive. I can deal with it, don't say anything, but don't like it. Good food should be savored, not messy, and quiet. When someone is actually enjoying what they eat, I dont mind it. I watch people eat. I like to see how it makes them feel. If I don't like what I see, I dont look at it. The noises are hard to extinguish.

They need to close their mouth!

When this happens, my blood pressure rises and I need to evacuate the area. I am so bothered by the noises you describe that I have ended relationships as a result and had to move out on a roommate. Not sure that this is something to unique AS--I am "NT".

People's eating noises drive me mad- far more so than other annoying noises.

My Dad used to eat like Jeff Goldblum in "The Fly" - probably because he knew it annoyed me.

Can't stand it. With noisy eaters I have to leave the room because if I don't there's a distinct possibility that someone may be harmed.

I'm so happy to read these responses; to realise I'm not alone. I can very much identify with the descriptions of the rage welling up inside me

Funnily enough, none of this applies to my children eating, or my other half. I recognise that they are eating and it should bother me, but it just doesn't seem to grate anywhere near as much as it does if it's another member of my species . . .

No, you're not alone in this

That's interesting. My son can't stand the mouth noises my daughter makes, but he tolerates the same noise in a friend. My wife was upset with him for being enraged at his sister and pointed out that he didn't rage at his friend and he said, "If I did that, I might lose one of the only friends I have." My wife thinks this means he is choosing to be nasty when he is upset by mouth noises, but I think it means he is using an enormous amount of self control to try to preserve his friendship.

I have this to a lesser degree. I can usually refocus my attention on something else, but sometimes I just have to move away from the sound. One of the sounds I find particularly hard to ignore is the sound of my son chewing ice.

Oh my god yes!! !! ! This is the worst of my issues. I cannot stand to hear other people eating... it drives me absolutely crazy. Even if they aren't trying to smack their lips or whatever, just to annoy me-- I cannot stand the sound of people eating. I never have. I don't know any advice for improving this issue either- except to maybe listen to music while eating, or wear ear plugs?

I have had problems with noises ever since I can remember. Mouth noises are some of the worst. I do feel rage, too. I just have to leave the room. I don't get as irritated if I'm eating too. I guess it kind of distracts me. Another sound that drives me nuts, are dogs barking. In my community, people have put up invisible fences and leave their dogs out all day long. The one's across the back yard seemed to bark anywhere from constantly to every few minutes. That would make me feel rage. I couldn't sit down and even read because I was waiting for the next bark. Thankfully, that woman (and her dogs) moved a few years ago. It was like Chinese water torture.

Take a look at this: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/healt ... .html?_r=0

It's called misophonia, and my husband has it as severe as you do. It's absolutely horrible, and not recognize in the DSM V. So it's lumped under anxiety, which is not quite true.

YahooGroup has a members email support group dealing with misophonia. They are very nice, supportive people. Type in *misophonia* in the search option.

I read the article and it really registers with me. I loved my dog so much. She was my companion. I loved her more than anyone else in the world. She was like my child. Yet, when she would lick for no reason. Sometimes insesently, I would feel rage. It totally conflicted with my love for her. I would have to turn on the bathroom fan to calm me down. When I was first diagnosed at 18, it was with OCD due to my anguish with noises.

urgh that slurping sound is just ghastly.. it feels like they're doing it on purpose just to irritate you as well.
i mean i never make those horrid and uncouth noises.. i mean it's hard to not crunch but i try to soften it at least.

Ugh! Ick! Blechh!

That's definitely one thing which I cannot stand. Lip smacking in particular. If my symptoms are particularly bad it can drive me to intense frustration and/or nausea. You're definitely not alone there.