Sound Of Chewing Causes Man To Fly Into Rage

Most people have a sound that, when heard, bothers them a little. However, some people have a condition that actually causes them to fly into a rage or panic when certain noises hit their ears. Derrol Murphy is one of them and he's trying to bring more awareness to the disorder, which is called misophonia. It's also known as selective sound sensitivity and it is something Murphy has lived with his whole life. While the condition seems silly, it's been incredibly challenging for Derrol, who hasn't seen his family for years because of how hearing them clear their throats would set him off.

The 41-year-old San Diego native has also walked out on dates who chewed too loud and attacked co-workers who made clicking sounds with their pens.

Opposites seem to attract though because he is now in a relationship with a loud eating co-worker named Kurt. Derrol explained to The Mirror, “When Kurt chews, his jaw clicks and when we first started dating, he was eating with his mouth open on the first date. I thought there was no way it was going to work, and had to tell him pretty quickly... Misophonia contributed to the breakdown of my relationship with my ex, so it’s huge that Kurt is so understanding. Most people say they understand but he just has to look at my face to know when a noise is getting to me.”

Derrol also stated, “I’m not an aggressive person, noises just anger me... One noise can stick out and if I’m in a restaurant, I hear one person’s voice and then I hear the cutlery, it makes me go crazy. The rustling of plastic bags drives me absolutely crazy, and I haven’t been to the movies for more than 10 years because people opening food bags is a very bad trigger."

Murphy has found ways to deal with his condition, including wearing headphones. His hope is that people learn how difficult living with the disorder is saying, "Hopefully, people will get a bigger understanding of it and realize that just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. It’s actually real and people need to be patient with people who have to deal with it. It’s hard enough for us to figure out what’s going on."

Photo: Getty Images


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