Dear 10-Year-Old-Me,
It’s me. You know, me. I feel like I owe it to you to tell you how things are going (or will be going) 10 years into your future. After all, I wish I got informed ten years ago of what I would be going through, but I guess everything has to have a starting point somewhere.
You’re young, so I’ll keep my message simple. Trust no one, and stay strong. Trust me, you’re going to want to remember that because, in three years, the rest of your life will begin. Life is fine and happy at home and at school right now, but when you turn thirteen, you will develop a condition or syndrome called Misophonia, but you won’t officially figure this out until you are fourteen. The sound of people chewing food and slurping will trigger the bejeezus out of you, and you will grow to resent people along the way. This will include your own father. You will feel mixed emotions of anger, annoyance, and confusion all wrapped into one messy feeling toward anyone who eats or drinks around you.
If you think that this is all you have to worry about in your future, then I suggest you think again. When you were six years old, you were diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, and the kids at school bullied you for it. They would call you names and mock your shoulder tics. Ever since you moved schools, things just began to improve for you despite you still having Tourette Syndrome.
Now with the Misophonia, hearing irritating noises not only triggers your rage to come out, but your Tourettes are also highly triggered. But that’s it, right? Wrong! Your ADHD is the item of discussion on the list.