What is Misophonia and How is it Treated?

by Abbas Jahangir · June 22, 2024

Sounds such as teeth grinding, chewing and opening and closing the pen cap can be annoying for everyone after a while. In individuals with misophonia, these sounds are not only disturbing but also unbearable. The word misophonia means “hatred of certain sounds” in Latin. This condition, also referred to as selective sound sensitivity syndrome, actually occurs with the development of psychological and physiological symptoms resulting from a specific structural abnormality in the brain. In individuals with this disorder, the fight or flight reflex is activated as a result of sensitivity to some specific sounds, which can make daily life very challenging. Feelings such as anxiety, anger and panic are among the emotions that can be triggered by these sounds. You can find answers to questions such as what does misophonia mean and how to cure misophonia in the rest of the article.

What is Misophonia? What are the symptoms?

Misophonia is the occurrence of emotional reactions and dissatisfaction in some individuals due to various simple sounds. This term, which originates from the Latin words “misos (hate)” and “phone (sound)”, can be briefly defined as hatred of sound. The main symptom of misophonia is extreme reactions such as anger in individuals to some sounds. The intensity of this response may vary from person to person and depending on the type of sound they are affected by. While some people only experience feelings of discomfort and restlessness after being exposed to a specific sound, some people may completely lose control and become furious with anger.

This problem, which can occur at any age, can affect both men and women, regardless of gender. The onset of symptoms usually occurs in late childhood or early adolescence. Patients usually have a single sound that triggers the first attack, but over time, some other sounds may be added to the triggers.

Individuals with misophonia are aware that their reactions to these low sounds are more severe than normal, but the reactions that occur within them with the sound make it easier for them to lose control. Misophonia symptoms that may occur with loss of control can be summarized as follows:

Unrest turning into anger
Disgust turning into hatred
Verbal insults against the individual who is the source of the voice
Acting physically aggressive towards surrounding objects upon hearing the sound
Avoiding environments where sound is affected or doing sloppy work in these environments

Some individuals with misophonia may imitate the sounds that evoke such emotions in them over time, which can trigger this condition for them. For some individuals, just thinking about that sound can cause symptoms to occur. In general, individuals who can be triggered in this way are more prone to anxiety , depression and other psychiatric conditions than others .

In addition to emotional symptoms, some individuals with misophonia may also experience a variety of physical symptoms:

A feeling of pressure on the body, especially in the chest area
Tension in muscles
Increase in blood pressure
Acceleration of heart beats
Increased body temperature

What Causes Misophonia?

Although the exact cause of misophonia is currently unknown, it has been determined that misophonia occurs more frequently in individuals with some psychiatric disorders. Disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder and Tourette syndrome are among the psychiatric disorders in which the risk of developing misophonia increases. Apart from psychiatric disorders, misophonia is a common condition, especially in individuals with tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Some recent studies have suggested that extra connections in the nerve cells in the brain responsible for the connection between hearing and emotional information processing may also be responsible for the development of misophonia.

The sounds that can trigger misophonia are quite diverse. In this disorder, which usually begins with mouth-related sounds, mouth sounds such as chewing, smacking, swallowing or throat clearing are considered among the main triggering sounds. In addition to these sounds, some individuals may also develop misophonia triggered by the sound of writing, sniffing, paper crumpling, clock sound, car door slamming, or bird, insect, and other animal sounds.

Almost all sounds are considered a potential trigger for this disorder. In some individuals with misophonia, in addition to auditory triggers, some visual triggers may also result in the symptoms of the disease. Actions such as shuffling, sniffing, or hair curling are among the visual triggers that cause misophonia symptoms in some people.

How is Misophonia Diagnosed?

Although misophonia can develop on the basis of various psychiatric disorders that increase susceptibility, it is considered a disorder on its own. The unique features of this disease that can be used for misophonia testing can be summarized as follows:

The onset of misophonia usually occurs before puberty.
The average age at which symptoms first appear is between 9 and 12 years old.
The probability of detection in women is higher than in men.
Misophonia is usually detected in individuals with high intelligence levels.
The first triggering sound is usually the sound made by another member of the family, and over time, different sounds may be included in this first trigger.

There are no established criteria for misophonia in the current psychiatric diagnostic guidelines used today. For this reason, it is very important for medical doctors, especially audiologists and psychiatrists, to be aware of misophonia and to keep in mind that this disease may be present in individuals in possible cases. By increasing the recognition of this disease, it can be easier for individuals with misophonia to receive support.

How is Misophonia Treated?

Individuals with misophonia generally tend to stay away from social gathering environments where these sounds may occur. Some individuals try to protect themselves from triggering sounds that may occur in their environment by constantly wearing headphones. Despite these avoidance methods, misophonia tends to persist throughout life and since there is no treatment for sound intolerance, the disorder must be kept under control by resorting to various practices.

By treating the tinnitus problem in misophonia caused by tinnitus, people can develop a better tolerance to triggering sounds. Behavioral cognitive therapy, an important psychiatric therapy practice, can help control the level of extreme reactions that occur after triggering sound exposure in individuals with misophonia. In addition to these methods, some misophonia patients can get relief from their symptoms by listening to non-triggering nature sounds such as rain or birdsong through headphones.

Obtaining counseling services to provide psychological support can be a very helpful practice for both the individual and the person’s family. There are currently no effective medications used for the treatment of misophonia. Therefore, psychological counseling is a very important issue in alleviating the difficulties experienced by these individuals and their relatives.

Misophonia is a relatively new disorder that was first introduced in the early 2000s. Therefore, it is very important to be aware of this disorder. If you observe symptoms of misophonia in yourself or those around you, it is recommended that you seek support from health institutions.