Misophonia: Sound Hater
Misophonia, What’s That?:
Misophonia is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when certain sounds can trigger rage or angry.
These sounds are often small noises like chewing, tapping or breathing.
People with misophonia have difficulty controlling their negative or hostile feelings when they hear certain sounds.
This hypersensitive to specific sounds is a real condition that can interfere with the person’s ability to interact calmly in certain situations.
Misophonia is often a selective disturbance to noises based on situational factors (i.e. specific to only certain people who are making the identified noise, rather than a sensitivity to all noises of a certain intensity level).
Misophonia means “hatred of sound,” but not all sounds.
Why Do Some People Have It?
Doctors and scientists are still unsure why misophonia happens.
It may have something to do with how the brain connects a sound to emotion.
A family history (genetics) may be the reason why some people might be born more sensitive to specific sounds.
Others may develop it after a stressful or bad experience and it often starts when a person is a child or teenager.
Symptoms: When triggered, a person with misophonia may experience the following symptoms:
Emotional Reactions: Anger, Anxiety, Disgust, Fear, Irritation.
Body Reactions: Blood Pressure Elevation, Chest Pressure/Tightness, Goosebumps, Heart Rate increase, Sweating
Behavioral Reactions: Situation Avoidance, Leaving/Moving Away from the Sound Source, Yelling at the Person Creating the Sound, Non-violent Actions to Stop the Sound, Violent Physical Action to Stop the Sound (rare)
Diagnosis It:
Misophonia is currently considered an anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, other possible physical, sensory, neurological and psychological conditions should be assessed before one can be diagnosed as having misophonia.
To assess for possible causes of misophonia, one should consider:
1) Audiologist Assessment: This assessment will look for hearing concerns such as tinnitus, hearing loss, hyperacusis (sensitivity to all noises based on volume)
2) Occupational Therapist Assessment: This assessment will look for sensory processing disorder which includes sensitivity to sensory information (e.g., textures, visual stimuli, noises).
3) Neurologist Assessment: This assessment will look for any structural or physiological issues that could be causing the sound sensitivities.
4) After these assessments result in no findings, diagnoses or causes, one should meet with a Mental Health Professional who is familiar with misophonia. A mental health professional will be able to evaluate for other diagnoses that can lead to sound & sensory sensitivities (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactivity Disorder, Tourette Syndrome, Major Depression Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder)
Misophonia - Deal With It:
There are different ways to help someone improve their reaction to sound sensitivity.
Some examples are:
Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & other forms of therapy help train the brain to respond to sound triggers.
Coping tools: Headphones, playing background noise, deep breathing & mindfulness can reduce the impact of the sound. These coping tools help with trigger sound avoidance and/or reaction management skills.
Knowledge: Knowledge about misophonia can make it easier for a person to feel in control and to help others to understand what they are experiencing.
Tolerance: Exposure therapy can help a person slowly getting used to sounds as it helps lower to the person’s emotional reaction in a safe way.
Although trigger sounds may never completely go away, many people find they can manage trigger sounds more calmly as they learn new skills. With the right support and practice, the emotional and physical response to the sounds can become less intense and make everyday living a lot easier.
Living With Misophonia:
Living with misophonia can be hard, but people can still enjoy their lives.
It helps to tell family and friends about the condition so they can understand.
Schools and workplaces can make small changes to support people with sound sensitivity.
Learning about misophonia helps everyone be more kind and patient.
Even though the sounds are tough, people with the ability to learn new skills can find ways to cope with it.
Techniques to Manage & Cope:
Cognitive Restructuring (Changing Thought Patterns)
Helps identify and challenge negative thoughts linked to trigger sounds.
Replaces “This sound is unbearable” with more balanced thoughts like “This sound is uncomfortable, but I can handle it.”
Reduces emotional reactivity over time.
Exposure Therapy (Gradual Desensitization)
Involves slowly and safely being exposed to trigger sounds in a controlled way.
Builds tolerance over time.
Helps break the automatic fight-or-flight response.
Relaxation Techniques
Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery.
Helps calm the nervous system before or during exposure to trigger sounds.
Reduces physical symptoms like tension or rapid heartbeat.
Mindfulness and Acceptance
Encourages staying present and accepting discomfort without reacting strongly.
Helps reduce the urge to escape or fight the sound.
Can reduce anxiety and improve emotional control.
Sound Masking or Coping Tools
Not a core CBT method but often used alongside therapy.
Background sounds (like white noise, nature sounds, or soft music) can reduce the impact of triggers.
Gives the brain something else to focus on.
Behavioral Experiments
Test out fears in real life to see if reactions match reality.
Example: Listening to a trigger sound briefly to discover it’s manageable with coping tools.
Builds confidence and reduces fear of future exposure.
These techniques are often combined and guided by a therapist who tailors them to the person’s specific triggers and needs. Over time, many people experience improved control and reduced distress.
The main takeaway is that if you are dealing with misophonia, you can take the steps to manage it & cope with it so that it does not interfere with your life and the life of your family, friends & others.