When Sounds Hurt

My experience with misophonia

I am a child, around the age of four or five I do my best to pass the test Of staying calm and not cry When certain sounds go awry

My family teases me, they call me names Affectionately, of course, according to their claims They can’t understand why some sounds hurt me My mother believes that someone may have cursed me

I am a teenager, I fully endorsed my role as the family’s peacemaker The sounds still hurt and make me cry Now I know to only cry inside But sometimes my frustration and anger cannot hide

I look for answers in the books I look through a web with many nooks It seems that others have it too There’s still no name for it but maybe we could form a crew

I’m an adult, now I know its name I know it’s real and not a game My family is still not convinced But I’m okay that it exists

Now I put my foot down and don’t allow the mockery I can explain that understanding is not mandatory As long as there is respect About the fact that some sounds indeed do hurt

Context: This is a short poem about my experience with misophonia and my biological family’s reactions.

Misophonia is a condition in which certain sounds (e.g. chewing, lip smacking, etc.) or visual stimuli accompanying or associated with the sounds can trigger physiological and emotional responses.

As a child I didn’t know other people had it too, and it was only 4 years ago that I came across the official name.