Misophonia Might Be the Cause of Your Sensitivity to Sound

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsDiagnosisCausesTypesTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Causes

Types

Treatment

Coping

Close

Misophonia is a poorly understood, and under-researched, condition. The term misophonia did not arise to describe the condition until the year 2000, although the condition was described much earlier as selective sound sensitivity syndrome. Awareness of the disorder has increased since several news stories aired nationally on the disorder in 2011.

The term misophonia literally means “hatred of sound.”

Symptoms of Misophonia

The primary symptom of misophonia is an extreme reaction in response to other people making certain sounds. These reactions may include:

The response a person with misophonia has to these triggers is often called “autonomic” and sometimes compared to the body’s"fight or flight" response.

The fight or flight response is also called the acute stress response. It is the body’s natural way of responding to a situation it deems threatening.

A number of things happen as part of this response:

Research has shown that people with misophonia also experience increased blood pressure, heartbeat, and body temperature.

All of these responses are the body’s way of preparing to respond to the threatening stimulus. It is unclear why a person with misophonia might respond in a similar manner to a triggering sound but researchers believe this response is involuntary.

People with this chronic condition often report feelings of panic, rage, and anxiety in response to triggering noises.

People with misophonia may go to great lengths to avoid being exposed to triggering noises. They may isolate themselves socially, or invent interesting coping mechanisms. Some may wear headphones or produce other noises to drown out triggering sounds.

Diagnosis of Misophonia

There are currently no established diagnostic criteria for misophonia and the condition is not recognized as an official diagnosis in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition(DSM-5).

Proposed diagnostic criteria were published in 2013 and researchers suggested that the disorder be classified as a separate and discrete psychiatric disorder. The researchers note that while misophonia resembles some other conditions such as specific phobias, OCD, and intermittent explosive disorder, none of these conditions fully fit the symptoms patterns that are characteristics of misophonia.

While there is no official diagnosis, your doctor may be able to recommend treatment options that can help you manage the symptoms of the condition.

What to Know About the DSM-5-TR

Causes of Misophonia

The exact causes of misophonia are not known, but there are a number of factors that may play a role.

Despite increased awareness of the disorder, research on misophonia is very limited with most information coming from extremely small studies and case reports. Epidemiological evidence is also lacking.

Some studies suggest that the incidence of misophonia is much higher than professionals have previously thought but many people only have mild symptoms for which they do not seek treatment.

Types of Misophonia

While misophonia is sometimes compared to another condition called hyperacusis, misophonia triggers tend to be soft everyday sounds, in fact, many of them seem to involve bodily functions. The following are common triggers:

Treatment of Misophonia

There are currently no established treatments for misophonia. However, some treatment options that may be beneficial include:

Coping With Misophonia

There are also lifestyle changes, coping strategies, and relaxation techniques that can help you manage the symptoms of misophonia.

Some strategies you can try:

You may also find it helpful to talk to others about the condition. People will be better able to avoid making certain noises around you—such as chewing gum or whistling—if they know that it might trigger a negative reaction.

If you or a loved one are struggling with misophonia, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with misophonia, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Ligyrophobia: The Fear of Loud Noises

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Palumbo DB, Alsalman O, De Ridder D, Song JJ, Vanneste S.Misophonia and potential underlying mechanisms: A perspective.Front Psychol. 2018;9:953. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00953Edelstein M, Brang D, Rouw R, Ramachandran VS.Misophonia: Physiological investigations and case descriptions.Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;7:296. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00296Schröder A, Vulink N, Denys D.Misophonia: Diagnostic criteria for a new psychiatric disorder.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(1):e54706. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054706Kumar S, Tansley-Hancock O, Sedley W, et al.The brain basis for misophonia.Curr Biol. 2017;27(4):527-533. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.048Schröder AE, Vulink NC, van Loon AJ, Denys DA.Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in misophonia: An open trial.J Affect Disord. 2017;217:289‐294. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.017

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Palumbo DB, Alsalman O, De Ridder D, Song JJ, Vanneste S.Misophonia and potential underlying mechanisms: A perspective.Front Psychol. 2018;9:953. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00953Edelstein M, Brang D, Rouw R, Ramachandran VS.Misophonia: Physiological investigations and case descriptions.Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;7:296. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00296Schröder A, Vulink N, Denys D.Misophonia: Diagnostic criteria for a new psychiatric disorder.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(1):e54706. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054706Kumar S, Tansley-Hancock O, Sedley W, et al.The brain basis for misophonia.Curr Biol. 2017;27(4):527-533. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.048Schröder AE, Vulink NC, van Loon AJ, Denys DA.Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in misophonia: An open trial.J Affect Disord. 2017;217:289‐294. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.017

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Palumbo DB, Alsalman O, De Ridder D, Song JJ, Vanneste S.Misophonia and potential underlying mechanisms: A perspective.Front Psychol. 2018;9:953. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00953Edelstein M, Brang D, Rouw R, Ramachandran VS.Misophonia: Physiological investigations and case descriptions.Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;7:296. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00296Schröder A, Vulink N, Denys D.Misophonia: Diagnostic criteria for a new psychiatric disorder.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(1):e54706. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054706Kumar S, Tansley-Hancock O, Sedley W, et al.The brain basis for misophonia.Curr Biol. 2017;27(4):527-533. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.048Schröder AE, Vulink NC, van Loon AJ, Denys DA.Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in misophonia: An open trial.J Affect Disord. 2017;217:289‐294. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.017

Palumbo DB, Alsalman O, De Ridder D, Song JJ, Vanneste S.Misophonia and potential underlying mechanisms: A perspective.Front Psychol. 2018;9:953. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00953

Edelstein M, Brang D, Rouw R, Ramachandran VS.Misophonia: Physiological investigations and case descriptions.Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;7:296. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00296

Schröder A, Vulink N, Denys D.Misophonia: Diagnostic criteria for a new psychiatric disorder.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(1):e54706. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054706

Kumar S, Tansley-Hancock O, Sedley W, et al.The brain basis for misophonia.Curr Biol. 2017;27(4):527-533. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.048

Schröder AE, Vulink NC, van Loon AJ, Denys DA.Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in misophonia: An open trial.J Affect Disord. 2017;217:289‐294. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.017

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