A man left family because they chewed too loudly

A man from California hasn't spoken to his family in four years because of the sounds they make when chewing and throat clearing, which send him into a "rage".

Derrol Murphy, 41, used to think he was "crazy", until he was diagnosed with Misophonia. The condition, causes suffers to experience strong emotional reactions to small sounds - such as chewing and breathing, according to the Daily Mirror.

Mr Murphy told the paper: "I thought I was crazy for many years. Little noises would make me just fly into a rage.

"People don't understand it and I can't explain it. It's affected relationships, especially people I've been dating and family members, because you take it out on the people closest to you because you think they should understand."

The condition can range from severe too mild, but reactions occur because the sounds trigger the fight or flight response.

Mr Murphy said that Misophonia had caused the breakdown of many of his relationships - making his work and social life difficult. However, despite being acutely affected, he's managed to maintain a relationship with a co-worker who uses warning signals before making noises likely to cause him to fly off into a rage.