AN avid reader asked me to cover this disorder, one they have been suffering from for a long time, but until recently did not know what it was. They have asked me to use this platform to spread awareness for others who may be suffering as well, with the hope of preventing and treating its effects.

Misophonia, sometimes called selective sound sensitivity syndrome, is a disorder whereby sounds and noise bring about a strong discomfort, with even the smallest, daily noises by which others may not be affected. Meaning the noises or sounds do not have to be traditionally or widely thought of as loud, annoying or aggravating.

It is not unusual for people to occasionally be irritated by some everyday sounds. But for individuals with misophonia, the sound of someone smacking their lips or clicking a pen can result in very strong negative emotions that can lead to verbal or physical assaulting acts.

It is relatively new in the world of disorders and diagnoses, only being officially accepted in 2000. Some examples of daily noises that these individuals are triggered by are chewing sounds, heavy breathing, the tone and volume of voices, keyboard tapping, phone notifications etc. Some individuals also claim to equally react to any visual stimuli that may accompany the sound.

The disorder appears to range from mild to severe. Some people may experience annoyance and irritation, while others can fly into a full-blown rage. I believe I have mild misophonia, as I get really irritated with some noises that do not seem to affect others around me. These include loud chewing, people playing loud videos on their phones in public, or when individuals have unnecessarily loud notification alerts and ringtones on their phones-just letting you all know in case you want to cater to those if you’re ever around me ??.

Severe cases of Misophonia seriously compromises everyday functioning, socialising, and ultimately overall mental health. The noises can bring forward serious emotional, mental and physiological responses. It can bring about a wide range of emotions such as anger, sadness or disgust, behavioural issues such as isolation and physical outbursts, and physiological symptoms such as trouble breathing, rapid heart rate, trembling, panic attacks, etc. It affects one’s social life as those afflicted have been known to develop anticipatory anxiety when going into situations where trigger sounds may be present. They often avoid public places or even their loved ones in general.

While some of you may have mild misophonia and have now put a word to it, people on the severe end of the scale know they are being affected. However, just the same, you may not have known what it is. It is often misdiagnosed as generalised anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism.

Due to its recent acknowledgement of a disorder, not much is scientifically solidified when it comes to how one develops misophonia. The age of onset seems to be young-between 10-13 years-when a mild version may occur. This tends to worsen with age.

Doctors have ruled out that it is an ear or hearing issue, but rather part mental, part physical, whereby sound affects certain areas within the brain and triggers automatic responses in the body. Most researchers believe it’s a a brain-based disorder, where there is a hyperconnectivity between the auditory and limbic systems of the brain. Meaning, some individuals have too many connections between the neurons in the brain that regulate hearing and emotions so certain sounds are greatly exaggerated and is then overconnected to the anterior insular cortex (AIC), a part of the brain responsible for processing emotions, leading to an overly emotional response.

Considering its effects on so many critical aspects of daily life, preventative and treatment options are vital for those who are afflicted. While there have been no scientific, identified forms of curative treatment, including medicinal options, there are ways to manage Misophonia.

A multidisciplinary approach, which combines preventative options such as identifying potential triggers, counselling as well as appropriate stress, anger and coping-management strategies will be most beneficial.

Of course, if possible, the ideal thing to do would be to remove yourself from any triggering situation. If this cannot be done physically, it can be done mentally. There are options of noise-cancelling headphones which can be worn as a preventative measure when attending public spaces, which usually trigger an undesired response. For those who don’t have access to these, regular earplugs are affordable and are readily available in pharmacies.

Others find it beneficial to add in favourable noises instead of removing them altogether. Many explain the benefits of regular headphones that have sounds or music that aids in relaxation such as sounds of waves, waterfalls, jungle animal sounds, instrumental music or favourite songs or mindful meditation…. Try all and decide which is best for you.

Strangely, some of the afflicted individuals claim that mimicking the sounds that bring the strong emotional response have helped in lowering their anxiety-almost like making fun of it themselves.

As always, lifestyle choices play a role with healthy coping- get good sleep, maintain a healthy diet and get regular exercise. The better you feel-both physically and mentally-the easier it will be to cope with stress in general.

It is also beneficial to speak to your friends and family about what you are feeling. Explain the disorder and ask for their support and to participate in any preventative measures that they can.

Finally, and always recommended, there is tall therapy with a mental health professional for finding your ideal way to cope with its effects.
Thank you for reading and please continue sending desired topics to caitlinvieira@gmail.com