Real life: Samantha has misophonia. ‘I can’t eat out’

Samantha has misophonia and cannot tolerate eating sounds. Every day is trying to find a balance between avoiding these irritating sounds and finding ways to deal with them. ‘The worst thing for me is that people think I’m suffering from hypothermia. I hope my story will change that.’

‘As someone who has struggled with… misophoniesthere is one thing i really want but i really can’t do and that is eating out. A pleasant evening in a restaurant is a wonderful and relaxing experience for most people, but for me it is a real nightmare. The sounds that others don’t even notice are inaccessible to me.

Smoking someone at a table next to him

I try and sometimes I can’t get out of it and I have to move on. A special anniversary, my best friend’s birthday; I really don’t want to lose that. When I go out to eat, it’s not just the usual sounds of knives clicking against plates or people chatting softly. No, it’s the little things, like smoking from someone at a neighbor’s table, the movement of a glass, or even the sound of someone breathing while they are chewing. These sounds, no matter how innocent, can drive me completely crazy. My heart starts beating faster, my breathing quickens, and I feel a wave of anger and fear run through my body. Everything in me wants to jump off the table and shake whoever is making the horrible noise. It’s really stupid.

Precautionary measures

Every time I try to eat out, I prepare as best as I can. By choosing tables that are far away from other guests, by choosing a table outside where it is less noisy or by putting in ear plugs that soften the sounds a little . But even these measures are not always enough. The sounds always find a way to get to me, and before I know it, I’m on the edge of my seat, ready to run.

Guilt

It’s hard to explain to friends and family why I keep putting off plans to go out to dinner. How do you explain that something so normal for them is often a torture for me? I often feel guilty that I have to disappoint them, but the thought of spending another evening at a restaurant fills me with so much anxiety and stress that I can’t handle it. A friend recently suggested going to a restaurant that caters to people who can’t tolerate restaurant noises. Because he is one a serious problem in the food industrywhich not many people advertise. Of course, it’s no fun at all if you can’t stand those pleasant sounds of going out. You are often seen as ‘dumb’, as ‘boring.’

Heavy condition

That is what is also more unfortunate about misophonia: it is a condition that is not always taken seriously. People often think that I do too much, that I am just a little more sensitive to sounds than others. But it goes much further than that. Misophonia has affected my life in countless ways, and the ability to go out to dinner is just one of the things I had to give up. I can’t eat at the table with my family, I can’t have lunch at the office. On holidays I eat alone in the camp. Misophonia is not an allergy, it is a serious condition.

Enjoy a restaurant without fear and stress

But the desire to lead a normal social life, including eating out, is still present. I hope that one day there will be a way to manage misophonia better, so that I can enjoy myself in a restaurant, surrounded by friends and family, without fear and stress. But until then, I’m still struggling with the fact that misophonia is making me one of the simplest and most enjoyable experiences of my life.”

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Samantha’s name has been changed for privacy reasons. Her real name is known to the editors. Would you also like to share a personal story (anonymously!)? You can email us at [email protected]

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