Misophonia is a specific type of auditory hypersensitivity characterized by strong feelings of anxiety or irritation in response to certain sounds. Misophonia poses a challenge for both the affected person and those around him or her. People with misophonia can experience difficulties in everyday life, especially in social situations where it is difficult to avoid potential sound triggers. In this article, you’ll learn what misophonia is, explore the detailed symptoms of the problem, and learn about effective treatments.
What is misophonia?
Misophonia is a disorder characterized by excessive sensitivity to certain sounds, usually made by other people or animals. Typical misophonia triggers include sounds perceived from everyday life such as eating, wheezing, rustling paper, sneezing or barking dogs. Importantly, these reactions are not related to the loudness of the sound, but rather to the specific nature of the sound and the person’s perception of it.
Misophonia is a specific type of auditory hypersensitivity that differs from general auditory hypersensitivity. Auditory hypersensitivity refers to increased sensitivity to a variety of sounds, while misophonia is a specific emotional response to specific groups of sounds.
Misophonia – what are the symptoms?
People with misophonia experience strong negative emotional reactions in response to specific sounds. Symptoms of misophonia can interfere with daily life. Patients experience strong emotional reactions such as anger, irritability, frustration, anxiety or fear. They may also experience physical symptoms such as a racing heartbeat, muscle tension, headaches, dizziness or nausea.
Typical sounds made by others that can trigger misophonia are:
- chewing, slurping, eating,
- loud breathing, snoring,
- clicking a pen, finger tapping noises,
- jerking a chair,
- grunting noises,
- talking through the nose, pulling the nose,
- sounds made by electronic devices such as a cell phone or television.
Is misophonia a mental illness?
Misophonia is not classified as a mental illness in the traditional sense. Although it is not officially recognized as a mental illness, it can negatively affect mental well-being. For some people, misophonia can be one of many symptoms that occur as part of a broader spectrum of mental disorders, such as autism, anxiety disorders, depression and attention deficit disorder.
Causes of misophonia
The causes of hypersensitivity are not fully understood. It is thought that it may be a neurological disorder, associated with an abnormal response of the brain to sound. It is also possible that misophonia is the result of traumatic childhood experiences related to sounds.
In addition to neurological and psychological causes, it is also possible that misophonia is caused by other factors, such as:
- Hearing disorders.
- Psychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), borderline syndrome, depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).
- Genetic factors.
What is hyperacusis and what are its symptoms?
The term “auditory hypersensitivity” can mean reduced tolerance to sounds. This phenomenon is studied by specialists in various fields, including neurologists, audiologists, ophthalmologists, psychiatrists and psychologists.
Hypersensitivity can cause discomfort, intense fear and anger at sound stimuli. Sensitive people sometimes experience tinnitus or difficulty sleeping. People affected by auditory hypersensitivity may experience discomfort or even pain in response to sounds that others consider normal or unobtrusive.
In the context of Decreased Sound Tolerance (DST ) disorders, Jastreboff and Jastreboff (2001) propose a division into:
- misophonia, characterized as a reaction to specific sounds with specific meaning,
- phonophobia, which involves a fear of sounds
- hypersensitivity to sounds leading to negative reactions based on the physical properties of sounds
Tinnitus vs. auditory hypersensitivity
Tinnitus, or tinnitus, is a type of auditory illusion in which a person has the impression of hearing a constant ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, rustling or other sounds. They can be heard in one or both ears, and their intensity can vary. Tinnitus can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Prolonged exposure to noise, such as at work or at leisure.
- Hearing damage, due to injury, infection or disease.
- Systemic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease or vascular disease.
- Mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety.
Tinnitus and auditory hypersensitivity often occur together. In this case, tinnitus can aggravate auditory hypersensitivity, and auditory hypersensitivity can worsen tinnitus.
Symptoms of auditory hypersensitivity
The most important symptoms of auditory hypersensitivity are:
- Hypersensitivity to loud sounds. People with hypersensitivity to sounds may experience pain or discomfort in response to sounds that are acceptable to others, such as the ringing of a telephone, kitchen sounds, the ticking of a clock or street noise.
- Difficulties in crowded places. Places with a high volume of sound, such as shopping malls or restaurants, can be particularly difficult for people with hypersensitivity to sound. The occurrence of different, unpleasant sounds at the same time can cause stress and confusion.
- Strong emotional reactions. A person who has auditory hypersensitivity may exhibit strong emotional reactions, such as irritation, frustration, anxiety or even verbal aggression.
- Avoidance of auditory situations. People with auditory hypersensitivity may try to avoid places or situations with sounds they find unpleasant and discomforting.
- Difficulty concentrating. Hypersensitivity to sounds can affect the ability to focus, especially in environments with multiple sound stimuli.
Auditory hypersensitivity in children – symptoms
Auditory hypersensitivity in children can have a significant impact and hinder daily functioning. Children with auditory hypersensitivity may avoid noisy places, which can lead to social isolation. They may also have problems at school or at work because they are unable to focus in noisy environments.
The most common symptoms in children are:
- Reactions to loud noises. Children with auditory hypersensitivity may react excessively to loud noises, showing concern, crying, covering their ears or avoiding noisy situations.
- Concentration difficulties. Auditory hypersensitivity can affect a child’s ability to focus attention, especially in places where there are many sound stimuli, such as school or public places.
- Avoidance of certain sounds. Children may avoid or try to minimize exposure to sounds associated with unpleasant sensations, which can lead to general avoidance of situations or places e.g. school, bus
- Emotional reactions. Children with auditory hypersensitivity may have strong emotional reactions to certain sounds, such as anger, frustration, or baby crying.
- Learning difficulties. Auditory hypersensitivity can affect a child’s ability to absorb information in a school environment.
It is worth noting that auditory hypersensitivity in children can be a symptom of various serious disorders, such as autism spectrum or attention deficit disorder. Diagnosis of this type, is always performed by mental health specialists: a psychiatrist and a psychologist.
How does misophonia affect the life of a patient suffering from this disorder?
Misophonia affects various aspects of a patient’s life, both mentally and in terms of daily social functioning. Patients struggling with misophonia experience:
- Painful prolonged emotional states. Constant exposure to difficult, negative emotions can lead to chronic stress and psychological discomfort.
- Social difficulties. People with misophonia may avoid social situations, especially those involving food. This in turn can lead to social isolation and a low social life.
- Difficulties at work or school. Misophonia can interfere with attention and concentration, which can lead to difficulties at work or school. The disorder can affect productivity and work performance.
- Family difficulties. For people with misophonia, everyday family situations, such as shared meals, can become a source of conflict and tension. Lack of understanding from loved ones can affect family relationships.
- Loss of enjoyment of activities. People with misophonia may avoid various activities that are associated with sounds that cause discomfort. This in turn can limit the range of activities and affect daily functioning.
- Increased alertness to stimuli. Misophonia makes those affected by the disorder hypersensitive to certain sounds, which can result in constant tension and readiness to react to sound stimuli around them.
Treatment of misophonia
The prospects for treating misophonia are promising. In recent years, a great deal of research has been conducted on this disorder, which has led to a better understanding of its causes and mechanisms of action. This has made it possible to develop new treatments that are more effective than those previously used.
Currently, the most effective treatment for misophonia is behavioral therapy, especially exposure therapy. In vivo exposure or habituation therapy involves gradually exposing the patient to stimuli that cause discomfort. The goal of the therapy is to desensitize the patient to negative stimuli.This therapy is based on the premise that if a patient with misophonia is gradually exposed to irritating sounds, over time he or she will feel less of the negative emotions associated with those sounds.
Retraining soundtherapy is a therapy that involves gradually adjusting the patient to the sounds that trigger misophonia. Another component of the treatment is building positive associations associated with the misophonia triggers, such as the eating situation with others.
Another type of behavioral therapy involves interactions involving distracting the patient’s attention in misophonia. This is aimed at reducing the intensity of negative emotions and reactions that are triggered by sounds the patient cannot tolerate. The therapy is based on the premise that if a patient with misophonia is able to divert his or her attention away from an irritating sound, he or she will experience less of the negative emotions associated with that sound.
Another method of treating misophonia is cognitive-behavioral therapy. The therapy helps patients change the way they think about the sounds that trigger their misophonia. In the context of treatment, an important skill for patients suffering from hypersensitivity is learning how to relax to help reduce the general increased physiological arousal that accompanies misophonic reactions.
For some patients, white noise therapy is used, which involves listening to soft masking sounds to minimize the discomfort associated with misophonia triggers.
It is worth noting that responses to specific forms of therapy can vary, depending on the individual patient. In addition, research on misophonia is still ongoing, which may bring new insights into therapies and treatment strategies in the future.
Not sure if you suffer from misophonia? Fill out an initial questionnaire. Be sure to consult a specialist, who will help accurately assess the situation and adjust the appropriate treatment strategies. Diagnosis of hypervigilance is always performed by a doctor.
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