I Cannot Stand the Noises My Spouse Makes. Is That A Good Enough Reason For Divorce?

 Posted on May 03, 2022 in Family Law

Some Illinois couples get divorced because of financial disagreements; other couples get divorced because of differences in how they want to raise their children. Still more couples get divorced because of abuse, adultery, or neglect. These issues can make pursuing a divorce a fairly straightforward, if difficult, decision to make. 

However, some people find they absolutely cannot stand their spouse - but for reasons they might feel embarrassed or nervous to share with friends and family. If the way your spouse eats, blows their nose, breathes, fidgets, or snores in their sleep makes you want to tear your marriage certificate in half, you may have a condition known as misophonia. 

What is Misophonia? 

Misophonia is a condition that makes people feel intense disgust or anger when they hear regular sounds that other people make. This condition can be so severe that people with misophonia will go out of their way to avoid social situations where people are eating, sleeping, or otherwise making noises that misophones find grotesque. 

For people who do not experience misophonia, the sincere distress it causes to sufferers of this condition can seem silly, rude, or downright shocking - especially if it is serious enough to provoke thoughts of divorce. After all, everybody has to breathe and eat, and a spouse without misophonia who is married to a spouse with misophonia may regularly feel shame, sadness, and frustration when confronted with their spouse’s reaction to seemingly harmless noises. 

However, years and years of repeated exposure to even minor sounds that one spouse finds intolerable can drive an irreparable wedge between a couple. The spouse with misophonia may constantly feel anxious, angry, panicked, and even fearful. They may be misdiagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety. The condition may even lead to divorce. 

Does My Spouse’s Obnoxious Chewing Justify Divorce? 

Whether or not you have misophonia, you may find your spouse’s mundane habits to be intolerable. Plenty of couples have gotten divorced and happily bid goodbye to each other’s tics, smells, or sounds forever. While even happily married couples can list a few things about their spouse that drive them nuts, only you can decide whether a lifetime of listening to a spoon click against your spouse’s teeth is enough to pursue divorce. However, divorce may be only one option; legal separation may be another. Before you make any decisions with lasting implications, seek legal advice from an experienced Illinois divorce attorney. 

Schedule a Complimentary Consultation With a Hinsdale, IL Divorce Lawyer

When you are trying to decide whether you can spend the rest of your life with your spouse, you need legal advice from a team that can offer you experience, compassion, and a judgment-free environment. Whatever your reasons for considering divorce, schedule a free consultation with one of the DuPage County divorce attorneys at Law Office of Martoccio & Martoccio and learn more about your options before making a decision. Call us now at 630-920-8855. 

Source: 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44084-8