We all have those pet peeves that never fail to drive us absolutely bananas. For many people, it can be just the slightest sound that can drive them mad. Sometimes the sound of gum chewing, a foot-tapping, or lip-smacking, can easily be compared to the sound of a car backfiring… Different sound frequency, same level of discomfort.
It’s debatable where these pet peeves truly derive from. Perhaps it’s from years of siblings teasing one another, or from sitting next to someone in school that couldn’t help but tap their foot throughout all of 8th grade English. However, recent research shows that having severe pet peeves of sounds can likely be a disorder called ‘misophonia’.
Current Biology, a research journal, claims that having an extreme hatred of sounds that may seem unreasonable to others, is likely due to the disorder misophonia. Misophonia occurs when a sound triggers an emotional and physical response in a person. This often leaves them reacting in anger, annoyance, panic, or having the need to flee from the sound.
