You may have misophonia if you get agitated or even enraged by certain sounds that don’t seem to bother other people. Misophonia is a strong dislike or hatred of specific sounds. People with misophonia may have trouble concentrating or relaxing when exposed to certain sounds.
Continue reading to learn more about this condition and how it can be managed.
What exactly is misophonia?
Repeated sounds such as biting, pen tapping, sniffling, or scratching can irritate and frustrate anybody.
These noises, however, are more than simply annoying for persons who suffer from misophonia, also known as selective sound sensitivity syndrome. Small noises, among many others, can be painful for people suffering from misophonia.
Simply put, misophonia is an excessive sensitivity to specific noises. In reality, “Misophonia” is derived from the Greek word for “Hate of Sound.”
When exposed to triggering noises, this hypersensitivity causes a fight-or-flight reaction. You could, for example, have a strong desire to:
Exit the room quickly, place your hands over your ears, and yell, “Stop making that noise!”
Some triggers may cause you so much anguish that you avoid specific circumstances and individuals as a result. If eating noises elicit this response, you should start eating all your meals alone. You may also want to avoid visiting restaurants, cafés, or other public areas where people could eat.
Misophonia was coined by researchers in 2001, and the study is still in its early phases. Some specialists feel misophonia is an illness in and of itself, while others believe it is a sign of another mental health issue.
Misophonia is not included in the most recent version of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).” Nonetheless, some clinicians have recommended incorporating it in future editions under the heading “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.”
Misophonia Symptoms
It can be identified by its major symptom: a strong negative reaction to triggering noises. That reaction may involve a variety of sentiments, emotions, and bodily sensations, including:
- Anger, impatience, and disgust are all common emotions.
- Anger, fury, or aggressive impulses, including a desire to lash out physically or verbally.
- Anxiety or unease in settings, including potentially triggering noises.
- Fear or anxiety, including sensations of being imprisoned or losing control.
- Tightness or pressure in the entire body or the chest.
- Elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
These symptoms usually develop for the first time during teens.
You may notice that your reaction to certain sounds is quite intense if you have misophonia. Nonetheless, you may find it hard to cope with the anguish caused by certain noises or moderate the severity of your reaction.
When you have difficulty coping with triggering noises in regular life, you may begin to avoid areas where you frequently encounter those sounds. It might include avoiding friends and family and often missing work and school.
In summary, misophonia can cause significant disruption to daily life.
Common Misophonia Triggers
Triggering noises might differ greatly from person to person.
These triggers may shift or grow over time. Even if misophonia develops in response to a single sound, as it frequently does, additional sounds may cause a similar reaction.
Other people’s mouth noises are among the most prevalent misophonia triggers. Here are several examples:
- Slurping when chewing or crushing.
- Swallowing.
- Breathing loudly.
- Clearing the throat.
- Smacking lips.
Other possible triggers include:
- Sniffling.
- Writing makes noises.
- The pen is clicking.
- The sound of papers or cloth rustling.
- The clocks are ticking.
- Scuffing of shoes.
- The clinking of glasses or silverware.
- Nail clipping or filing.
- Mechanical clicking and humming.
- The chirping of birds or crickets.
- Animal grooming noises.
Finally, if you have misophonia, you may discover that making the same sound yourself usually does not elicit any response. Some misophonia sufferers discover that replicating the triggering noises might help alleviate the anguish they produce.
