when the phobia ruins the romantic relationship

Baptiste V. is a misophone. The 54-year-old lawyer developed an intolerance to certain sounds, especially bodily sounds: sniffing, coughing, mouth noises. For him, dining by candlelight is a punishment. “It has intensified over the years. Today, I only hear the sounds of my wife chewing. I lose my temper because I have the impression that she is chewing loudly on purpose,” he admits. To the great dismay of his partner who now prefers… to sit at a separate table! She eats in the kitchen before returning from work or while he is busy in another room of their house in Mandelieu-la-Napoule (Alpes-Maritimes). A tense situation which deprives the couple of moments of intimacy, sharing and sociability too. Impossible for them to have dinner or to go to a restaurant with friends. Or to introduce compotes and purees to their first grandchild, born at the end of summer. “My wife told me that she had agreed to…