Kelly goes queasy at sounds of eating
SHE has battled addiction and seizures, and has a thyroid condition.
Now Kelly Osbourne has another alarming, and bizarre, health condition to contend with. She has been diagnosed with misophonia – a heightened sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by another person eating or drinking. These sounds can provoke feelings of disgust, irrational anger and even nausea in the sufferer.
‘For years, the sound of other people chewing, chomping, slurping and gurgling has made me feel really anxious and uptight,’ revealed Kelly, 31, as she was awarded 2015 Woman of the Year at a gala lunch in Beverly Hills for Friendly House, a charity which helps women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
‘People told me I was crazy but now I have actually been diagnosed with a condition and it’s a real medical phobia called misophonia.
‘I have a phobia of mouth noises. If I hear a slurping sound, it makes my knees buckle and I literally fall over.’
The most common trigger sounds for misophonia sufferers are breathing, chewing, throat clearing and sniffing.
While there is no cure for misophonia some sufferers find that cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnosis can relieve the symptoms.
Kelly was alerted to the existence of the condition by brother Jack and says her mother may also be a sufferer. ‘My brother sent me an article from a magazine and I showed it to my mum and she said, “I have exactly the exact same thing!”’ adds Kelly.
The Osbourne family have suffered more than their fair share of health problems.
Kelly’s father, rocker Ozzy, battled against drug addiction, her mother Sharon had a double mastectomy in 2012 after learning she had a genetic risk of breast cancer, and Jack suffers from multiple sclerosis.