This has been a busy morning as you will soon discover but just now I learned about misophonia. I learned about it by reading a blurb on NPR Health and brother that is all I need.
“Misophonia is characterized by intense emotion like rage or fear in response to highly specific sounds, particularly ordinary sounds that other people make. The cause is unknown.” The article focuses on the noises made by other people’s chewing. This I do not have but motorcycles and cars with no mufflers brings forth intense emotion in me like rage or fear or sometimes both. I shall have to read on and see if there is a cute. But first here is more about the disorder.
“Chewing is almost universal. Gum chewing is almost universal. They also don’t like the sound of throat clearing. Coughing, sniffing, nose blowing — a number of things,” says Jaelline Jaffe, a psychotherapist in Los Angeles who specializes in misophonia and works. For some, the sight of someone chewing or a specific smell or even humming, tapping or pen-clicking can trigger a negative reaction.”It’s as if the survival part of the brain thinks somehow it’s being attacked or it’s in danger,”
Well this is making sense – the survival part of my brain is remembering being hit by a motorcycle in London on September 13, 2014. Perhaps it is not post traumatic stress after all. I am not sure what difference this is going to make to anything but I press on. A pessimistic Canadian chimed in – would not you know, a Canadian. “It’s an interesting study, agrees Steven Taylor, a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia who specializes in mood disorders. But there are a number of important problems with it, he says. First, it was very small, and the subjects’ misophonia was diagnosed with only a short questionnaire. “In studies of clinical conditions like misophonia, diagnosis by questionnaire is typically inadequate. A face-to-face interview with a trained clinician (e.g., a psychologist) is typically needed,” he says.”
The article goes on to explain the origin of the word. “Misophonia means hatred of sound, which, as Johnson points out, is not technically accurate” Finally we get to the treatment section. “There aren’t any bulletproof treatments. But there are some strategies that can help someone cope. Flooding the ears with noise, noise-canceling headphones, mindful breathing, or just getting up and taking a brisk walk can redirect attention. Others have found antidepressants or exercise helpful.”
Hey, I am ahead of the game. There was a time that I put ear plugs in my ears when walking the streets of Vancouver where the muffler ordinance is not enforced. In addition I walk briskly and make that motion with my thumb and first finger indicating that the noise polluter has a small member and that is why he has no muffler. I am smarter than I thought.
It has been a strange morning I communicate to friend Jenn W in an email. Well I am up and accomplished many silly things. I am divesting myself of stuff, cleaning out drawers getting ready for Theresa and her gang to come in. Then I am writing emails to a rather diverse group of people. Lynne my high school and Uni friend who lives in Vancouver – she a recluse but we are planning to see one another on Wednesday. To say goodbye and I will give her one of the flawed books. Then an email to Rosemary who lives in the UK – hired her to organize me when I lived in the Bay Area – she moved back to UD but planning to live with her in Devon but she fucked up. Anyway we are back in touch. Then sent an email to the handsome nude black man whose picture I sent on. I am going to mention/promote him and his photographer on my blog. My idea not his but it can only help him. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri where ever that might be. My geography lives a lot to be desired. Anyway he just laughed at me when I told him how dumb I was and said something about not knowing where his head is if not it being attached to his neck. Which head? I did not ask that question, honest to god I did not. I am trying to clean up my act/ He sent more pictures on. If you beg I will send them. Hahahaha
I cannot find my fucking wallet at the moment. If it is not one thing it is another. But I have a credit card and so can go and get a blow dry from Vicky – the only thing scheduled for the day. In my prepackaging organization I found that wonderful purse you made for me. I had temporarily misplaced it. So I feel justly rewarded. I neither blogged nor read this morning. I went to Starbucks yesterday morning and met this incredibly handsome blac
This is part of an email sent to a new friend. You will hear more about him later. We somehow ‘met’ on Instagram but not the ordinary way where male predators seek out women. It was more of an interchange that one of us began – commenting on one another’s comments. It has been fascinating. He is an extremely ambitious person but in such a good way. He has a passion and it seems to be well placed and he surrounds himself with able people It is impressive.
Wow!! You are so INCREDIBLY photogenic and you are blessed with the greatest of photographers. I truly mean both of those. I am a good photographer so I do know of what I speak. I never made a living from photography but it has been a life long habit (hobby best word hahaha). But I stopped for writing and Ikebana earlier. I can only do one thing at once. But my book on the Tate Britain contains photographs taken with my iPhone and they book is beautiful (if I do say so myself) Hahaha Well lots of people agree. It is such a relief to be going back home (SF Bay area) so I can settle down and write. This has been a very difficult five years – first in London and then in Vancouver.
My email to Rosemary contained the following information.
Me: Believe me this has been an interesting chapter in my life – this Vancouver. I am planning to write a book about it using the blogs. Its title shall be Vamoosing Vancouver: Blogging the Journey from Optimism to Pessimism with Additional Salacious Stuff. I am doing it in paper back and self publishing. It should be fun.
These photographs feature my new friend. These photographs taken by taken by Amber Macken.
