Pet Peeves
Everyone gets annoyed. It’s a natural reaction. It can be
over something little, something major or even a build-up of so many things
over a period of time. Usually, for me, when I am stressed and/or sleep
deprived I end up getting annoyed by the little things. It doesn’t help that I
have misophonia which is sensitivity to selected sounds. I’ve compiled a list of
the things that really get under my skin. I’ll put (M) next to the ones that
are triggering to my misophonia.
1. People ending statements with a question mark. It just
makes you sound unsure of yourself and if you’re not sure about what you’re saying
then how can others trust your statement? For example, if someone writes “I had
so much fun?” I end up thinking “did you or did you not have fun?” Are you sure
you did have fun?
2. Messiness. If I am in a room I can’t concentrate or sleep
if it is messy. As some of you may know; I have been known to tidy friends’
rooms when I’ve stayed over (with permission) but if that’s not possible I go
home. It still grates on me, though, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I have
spoken to mental health workers about this and have been told that I have obsessive
compulsive tendencies brought on by stress and anxiety.
3. Open mouthed chewing/eating noisily. (M) When someone
starts crunching down on food or smacking their lips it’s all I can hear. My
brain tunes into it and seems to amplify the sound. My shoulders end up by my
ears and it makes me want to cry. It drives me crazy and I have to remove
myself from the room the person is in.
4. People touching me. I can’t stand being touched – even if
it’s someone just putting their hand on my knee or putting their hands on my
shoulders. Ideally I like people to ask if they can hug me/touch me for
whatever reason (haircuts etc) and it’s all down to not feeling safe around
people. If you read my Blogtober post about my experiences with bullying then
you’ll probably have guessed that my fear of being touched stems from that.
5. Tinny music in public spaces. If you have headphones; use
them. I guarantee no one else wants to hear whatever it is you’re listening to.
(M)
There are loads more I could list but out of fear of boring
you all or just seeming out of my mind for being triggered by the little things
I will stop here.
Is there anything else that grates on you?
Anxiously,
Me
