● Normal or Nuts? (II)
Q: When people are eating, I can’t stand the sound of a fork or spoon
clanking on a plate or bowl. I get chills, nausea and a headache. I’m also
sickened by the sound of people chewing with their mouth open. Is there
something wrong with me?
A: Possibly nuts. It’s tempting to suggest there is something wrong with
everyone else you know. How come they don’t chew with their mouths closed? At
the very least, you are overly sensitive to minor irritations. You may also be
suffering from an obscure malady called
misophonia – a condition characterized by an intense loathing of a range of
sounds, such as those made by trains, certain musical instruments and people
(their breathing, for instance). Try to focus your
attention away from the source of irritation. Instead, concentrate as hard as
you can on something else when you eat with your friends: the background music,
the scenery, even what your friends are talking about (what a concept!). You
may be able to train yourself to be less bothered by the noise. (RD2012, Sept., p.117-118)
正常還是不正常?(下)
問:別人吃東西的時候,我總是無法忍受他們叉子或湯匙碰撞碗盤的聲音;我會感到掃興、想吐、頭痛。而且,我對別人張口大嚼的聲音也很討厭。請問我是不是有問題?
答:可能有問題。由此似乎顯示你跟每個朋友之間出了問題;你叫他們嘴巴閉起來怎麼吃東西嘛?至少我可以說,你太吹毛求疵了。你還可能罹患一種叫做「憎聲症」的罕見疾病——患這種病的人極端憎恨某些聲音,例如火車、某些樂器、以及某些人所發出的聲音(如他們的呼吸聲)。當你跟朋友吃飯時,最好能將注意力從不愉快的聲源移開,盡可能將注意力集中在別的事物上:例如背景音樂、周遭風景、和朋友的談話內容(這個最重要!)。也許你更應該訓練自己不要太在意朋友發出的噪音。 (RD2012, 9月號, 117-118頁)