There is hope.

Misophonia is a decreased tolerance to specific sounds and visual cues. Common cues (or “triggers”) include: chewing and other mouth noises, breathing, wrappers crinkling, clock ticking, typing, bass music, and leg shaking. This list is not exhaustive and misophonia triggers are very personal. For some, all chewing bothers them, for others it is just the chewing of one family member. Most people with misophonia do not trigger themselves. Some people have several triggers and some people have dozens.

When a person with misophonia comes in contact with a trigger, they have a strong automatic emotional and physical reaction. Common emotions are anger (irritation to rage), disgust, and anxiety. Misophonia also triggers the physical fight - or - flight response. Misophonia is not chosen; those who suffer do not have control over their symptoms.

The severity of reactions varies, with some people experiencing mild irritation and others enduring extreme distress, leading to strained relationships and social isolation.

Misophonia usually begins in late childhood (ages 9-13), but it can start at any time in life. Once misophonia triggers are developed, they tend to persist and generalize. Unfortunately, the reactions to these triggers often get worse when not treated.

Mild misophonia is very common, with as many as 1 in 5 people having some sensitivity to typical misophonia triggers.

For about 1% of the population, symptoms are severe enough to greatly interfere with daily life. This means that about as many people suffer from misophonia as more well known conditions such as OCD, autism, or epilepsy. Despite this significant prevalence, misophonia is relatively unknown. We desperately need more research and professionals trained in treating misophonia.

The exact cause of misophonia remains unclear, though it is believed to involve a combination of genetic, neurological, and psychological factors. Neuroimaging studies suggest that the brain's limbic system, responsible for emotional processing, may play a significant role in misophonia's development.

Some people with misophonia feel the beginning of their symptoms are connected with a painful childhood or a specific trauma. Many people with misophonia show traits of perfectionism or high need for control.

Misophonia tends to co-occur in people suffering from other mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and ADHD, and autism.

There is no “cure” for misophonia, but there are certainly ways to turn down the volume (pun intended!) on your misophonia.

Professional treatment for misophonia falls into three categories.

Audiology: Interventions are aimed at masking sounds or reconditioning response to sound. A common way to achieve this is to use a hearing aid like device to generate white noise directly into the ear, a treatment also commonly used for tinnitus.

Medication: Although there are no medications specifically approved for use with misophonia, medications that are used to treat other mental health conditions like anxiety may be able to help alleviate misophonia symptoms. A primary care physician or psychiatrist can consult with you about what medications may be useful.

Therapy: Though research is growing, there is not a specific evidence-based psychotherapy for treating misophonia. Luckily, therapies currently used to treat anxiety and other mental health conditions can help to reduce the intensity of misophonia distress

Therapy for misophonia will help you:

• Maintain a good self-care routine to minimize the stress that exacerbates your misophonia reactions

• Create a toolkit to turn down the intensity of your physical and emotional distress when triggered

• Find the right balance between giving yourself safe sound spaces, while also not missing out of the things in life that are important to you