Repeated noises such as chewing, pen tapping, snorting, or scratching can annoy or frustrate anyone. But for people living with a condition called misophonia these noises are torture. With misophonia, those little sounds, and many others, can be truly unbearable.
This condition was originally known as selective sound sensitivity syndrome. Misophonia involves extreme sensitivity to certain sounds. In fact, the name comes from the Greek and literally means "hatred of sound".
What is misophonia?
This hypersensitivity causes a fight or flight response to trigger sounds. You might, for example, be in dire need of:
- leave the room immediately
- Cover your ears tightly
- Yelling for the person making the sound to stop
some triggers can cause so much distress that the person begins to avoid certain situations and people as a result. If the sounds of eating usually trigger this response, you can start eating alone and avoid going to restaurants, cafes, or any other public places where people might eat.
Researchers named this condition in 2001, so its study is in relatively early stages. Some experts consider misophonia itself to be a condition, while others believe it could develop as a symptom of other health conditions. mental health.
Symptoms of misophonia
In general, you can recognize misophonia by its main symptom: a strong negative reaction to hearing trigger sounds. More specifically, that response could include a variety of feelings, emotions, and physical sensations:
- Feelings of annoyance, irritation and disgust
- Anger, rage, or feelings of aggression, including the desire to physically or verbally lash out at the trigger of the sound
- Nervousness or restlessness in situations that might involve triggering sounds
- A feeling of anxiety or panic, such as feelings of being trapped or losing control
- Tightness or pressure throughout the body or in the chest
- Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature
These symptoms usually first appear during preadolescence or adolescence. If you live with misophonia, you may recognize your somewhat extreme response to certain sounds. Still, you may find it difficult to cope with the distress these sounds cause you or to control the intensity of your reaction on your own.
When you have a hard time dealing with the triggering sounds of daily life, you may start to avoid places where you normally hear these sounds. This could mean avoiding friends and family, or missing work and school often. Definitely, misophonia can gradually alter your daily life.
Common triggers of misophonia
trigger sounds can vary quite a bit from person to person. These triggers can also change or increase over time. Even when misophonia begins in response to a specific sound, as it often does, other sounds can trigger a similar reaction over time.
Some of the most common misophonia triggers they are the oral sounds that other people make. The most common sounds can be:
- Chewing or eating crunchy things
- sipping liquids
- swallow loudly
- breathe hard
- clearing your throat or coughing
- smack your lips
Other triggers They may be:
- the sobs
- make noise when typing
- The “click” sound of a pen
- Rustle paper or cloth
- the sound of a clock
- The sound of shoes on some floors
- Clinking of glasses or cutlery
- The sound of filing or cutting nails
- The mechanical buzzes and clicks
- The song of birds or crickets
- The sound of animals preening
For some people, visual triggers can cause a similar reaction. For example, seeing someone doing the following actions:
- Move or shake your legs or feet
- rubbing nose
- touch your hair
- Shake a pencil or pen between your fingers
- Chew with open mouth
- Move your lips or jaw in a chewing motion, with a piece of gum, for example
If you live with misophonia, you may notice that when you make the same sound it doesn't provoke any reaction. Some people with misophonia find that mimicking trigger sounds can help ease the distress they cause you.
What causes misophonia?
Researchers are still not sure what causes it. yes they know that occurs more commonly in people who also have:
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (TOC)
- anxiety disorders
- Tourette syndrome
- Acufenos
A possible connection between misophonia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has also been suggested. While misophonia appears to be a condition of its own, it definitely overlaps with other conditions, including similar symptoms.
It usually begins around puberty, with the first symptoms appearing between the ages of 9 and 12. The initial trigger often comes from a parent or another family member, but new triggers can develop over time.