Have you ever heard of misophonia? You wouldn’t be alone if you said yes. Misophonia is a audiological disorder that has neurophysiological components characterized by a decreased tolerance to specific sounds or stimulie associated with sounds.
These sounds can vary depending on the person, but common triggers include chewing, lip smacking, pen clicking, keyboard tapping, sniffling, fingers on a chalk board and so on. Rosenthal, PhD, Director of Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotional Regulation says, “It’s not about the volume of the sound, but rather the specific patterns of the sound.” When a person with misophonia hears the trigger sound, the person’s brain misinterprets the noise as being threatening or toxic. Some people are midly affected, while others are more severely affected. Reactions can include negative emotions such as fear, angr and anxiety and physical responses such as increased blood pressure, sweating and chest tightness.
Current research shows that around 2% to 5% of the population has some level of misophonia which equates to about 1 in 22 adults. As of right now there is no known cure but devices like noise cancelling earphones, staying away from trigger noises, are obvious. Also getting enough sleep helps and working on the cognitive mindset with reducing stress is helpful.
Misophonia is an extreme reaction on a continuum. If you feel you might have misophonia, contact a specialist as the sound triggers can cause significant distress and interfere with daily life