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Misophonia: A disorder in which certain sounds trigger emotional or physiological responses that some might perceive as unreasonable given the circumstance.
If you’re an otherwise peaceful person who suppresses violent urges when you hear the sound of someone flapping their gums at audible rate, you have met your match, my friend.
Derrol Murphy, 41, becomes enraged and panic-stricken from the sound of chewing to the point where he has cut off ties with his own family.
Derrol Murphy has misophonia, a rare condition in which heightened emotional responses are triggered by certain noises, like chewing and throat clearing.
— UNILAD (@UNILAD) August 4, 2019
The graphic design production manager from San Diego hasn’t spoken to his loved ones in four years due to his mysterious condition.
“I thought I was crazy for many years. Little noises would make me just fly into a rage,” said Murphy.
“People don’t understand it and I can’t explain it. It’s affected relationships, especially people I’ve been dating and family members, because you take it out on the people closest to you because you think they should understand.”
Murphy claims to have legit walked out on dates with particularly noisy eaters and nearly attacked co-workers who click their pens.
“I’m not an aggressive person, noises just anger me. I’ve had to walk out on dates if they are chewing really loudly, my face gives it away – I pull a look of disgust I can’t hide,” Murphy said, adding, “Chewing is a big one and specific voices. I hear everything all the time.”
But chewing and pen-clicking aren’t the only sounds that trigger Murphy’s rage, throat clearing is a cardinal sin in his book.
“It’s definitely made dating interesting, and I haven’t been able to speak to relatives for years as the throat clearing would make situations tense,” he said.
Yo Murphy, I’ll Venmo you $69 if you can sit through this 9-minute pickle eating ASMR video without punching a baby.