Mad Men star January Jones revealed her battle with the neurological disability misophonia on Thursday.
The actress, 47, took to Instagram to speak about the condition — which causes extreme discomfort in response to certain sounds — and called out her brother-in-law for treating it as a joke.
‘For today, I’d like to talk about something that I’ve been struggling with my whole life, which is called misophonia. And it’s gotten progressively worse over the years,’ the Emmy-nominated star — who played Betty Draper on Mad Men — shared in a clip.
‘I have a brother-in-law whose favorite food is chips,’ January went on, adding, ‘Just all the time, he eats chips.’
‘I have talked to him about this many times and he seems to think it’s funny to eat chips around me now, because it’s an ongoing joke to see what happens and see what I do. I just think it’s really unkind to my issue and also very dangerous for him.’
‘So what I didn’t do today, was record this video inside a prison. Because I’ve imaged many ways to do it. But I haven’t. I didn’t. Not yet,’ she humorously added.
‘Otherwise, he’s a really nice guy. And it’s his birthday today, so happy birthday. I hope you’re eating a f**k load of chips,’ she concluded.
In her caption she jokingly wrote, ‘I didn’t do it… today.’
A number of fans related to the star in the comments, with one writing, ‘I have it too. It’s so hard at times. Really great to hear someone openly talk about it in this way. I genuinely for years since I was a child thought it was just me and as I’ve gotten older realized it’s an actual thing. Which actually needs support from friends and family.’
‘Omg I can’t stand slurping, repetitive sniffing..it drives me crazy!!’ another wrote.
A visceral feeling of disgust upon hearing someone chew a crunchy snack or clear their throat is a sign of misophonia, which affects approximately five percent of the US population, equating to roughly 13 million people.
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley and the Hashir International Specialist Clinics & Research Institute for Misophonia, Tinnitus and Hyperacusis in London believe the condition goes beyond the lens of auditory processing or sensory hypersensitivity.
New research suggests that at its core, misophonia is linked to a few key mental patterns.
People with the condition often have more trouble shifting their focus away from negative emotions and tend to get stuck in cycles of repetitive, negative thoughts, a process known as rumination.
They also frequently report feeling mentally rigid. Instead of the emotional state passing, the mind gets locked onto it, which fuels the intense reaction and the cycle of rumination that often follows.
Importantly, these traits are specific to misophonia itself and aren’t just side effects of common issues like anxiety or depression.
January famously starred as the emotionally distant housewife Betty Draper alongside Jon Hamm (Don Draper) in the acclaimed series Mad Men, which ran from 2007 until 2015.
Earlier this year, January made a rare public appearance with her 13-year-old son, Xander Dane Jones as they stepped out on the red carpet in Southern California.
They were seen in Laguna Beach, California at Oceana’s 18th Annual SeaChange Summer Party.
The God Is a Bullet has not publicly stated who Xander’s father is, telling The New York Times in 2013, ‘That’s my son’s business. It’s not the public’s business.’
‘Xander has a lot of bro time with the neighbor dads and my dad, who is super young,’ she explained.
The star continued: ‘It’s good to have strong women around a man to teach him to respect women.
‘He doesn’t have a male person saying, ‘Don’t cry’ or ‘You throw like a girl.’ All those s****y things that dads accidentally do.’
The Last Man on Earth actress – who formerly dated actor Ashton Kutcher – said at the time she felt zero pressure to provide a stepdad for her son.
She told the outlet, ‘I just don’t feel I need a partner.’
The two-time Golden Globe nominee added, ‘Do I want one? Maybe. But I don’t feel unhappy or lonely – it would have to be someone so amazing that I would want to make room.
‘Someone who would contribute to my happiness and not take away from it.’
