What is misophonia?

Misophonia is a condition characterized by an automatic and overwhelming physiological and emotional response to specific everyday sounds or visuals known as “triggers.” The most common misophonia trigger is chewing. Due to the regularity and intensity of triggering, the condition significantly disturbs the daily life, functioning, and interpersonal relationships of those who suffer from it.

Misophonia is a syndrome. Syndromes involve a cluster of symptoms that tend to occur together and do not have a clearly defined cause or universal cure. Syndromes are intricate conditions influenced by various factors, which can include both environmental and genetic elements. Most mental health conditions, including major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, are classified as syndromes. While not all syndromes are deemed “disorders,” most, including misophonia (if it causes distress or impairs daily life for the person with it), meet this criterion.

Important Note: The absence of a universal cure for syndromes doesn’t mean healing isn’t possible; it simply indicates that the healing process differs for each individual with the syndrome. On the same token, the underlying conditions that contribute to someone developing misophonia vary from person to person.

A helpful analogy for understanding syndromes is the iceberg analogy. The tip of the iceberg represents common symptoms shared among individuals with the syndrome, while the submerged portion varies for each person and comprises underlying factors fueling the condition.

What do you mean by “freedom from misophonia”?

I define “freedom from misophonia” as no longer experiencing activation of the body’s fight/flight response when encountering one’s misophonia triggers. Those free from misophonia can occasionally feel annoyed or agitated by former triggers or other stimuli (especially when tired or stressed), but it’s comparable to the experiences of those without misophonia. They are not “hijacked” by the experience.

What causes misophonia?

I contend that misophonia is a biopsychosocial phenomenon, meaning it is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of misophonia cannot be achieved by solely examining one aspect, be it biology (such as brain differences), psychology (such as cognitive processes), or social elements (such as relationship and environmental dynamics). All of these factors can contribute to misophonia and it is common for there to be a blend of them. This multifaceted nature is not unique to misophonia; many mental and physical health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain disorders, and certain cardiovascular diseases, operate similarly.

In short, there are many in-roads to misophonia. Whatever played a role in your in-road will likely need to be addressed as part of your out-road. If you’ve experienced misophonia for some time, there’s a good chance you’ve already checked some of those boxes.

Is there a cure for misophonia?

Syndromes typically don’t have a single solution or universal treatment for relief. There are likely multiple factors or layers to address beneath the surface of your misophonia iceberg. While you may not see significant changes at the top of the iceberg right away, progress is being made with each layer you work through!

I understand how difficult it can be to invest time, money, and energy into therapies and lifestyle changes without a guarantee of long-term results. One of my main motivations in writing Demystifying Misophonia was to help individuals and families identify what they truly need to prioritize, so they don't burn out on methods and therapies that don’t address their underlying factors.

You’re probably not surprised to hear that achieving freedom from misophonia often requires hard work and perseverance on your and your family’s part. It’s comparable to learning a musical instrument or a sport—it’s not just about having the right tools, information, and a good instructor/coach. It also requires effort, maintaining a growth mindset, practicing skills, learning from mistakes, and staying committed to the journey.

The good news is that along the way, you’ll gain valuable insights, habits, and skills—leading to healing and the release of burdens you may not even realize you’re carrying. These outcomes go beyond alleviating misophonia—they’ll equip you with tools to tackle life's challenges, be a preventative force for wellness, and empower you to live a more fulfilling life!

What are some additional questions you answer in the book?

• How do everyday non-life-threatening stimuli make their way onto the brain’s “threat list”?

• What makes a person more vulnerable to everyday non-life-threatening stimuli being added to their “threat list”?

• Why doesn’t a person with misophonia get triggered every time their trigger is present or by anyone producing that sound/visual?

• What are some immediate strategies I can use to better navigate triggering environments?

• What are some ways to explain misophonia to my friends/family/boss/ teachers/etc. and advocate for myself?

• How much should I accommodate when it comes to my child’s triggers?

• What layers get added on top of one’s misophonia triggers, making misophonia more and more of a problem? How do you address such layers?

• How do you remove misophonia triggers from the brain’s “threat list”?

Do I need to work with a misophonia specialist in order to find relief?

While it's ideal to work with someone who has extensive experience and a solid understanding of misophonia, it's not always possible, nor is it strictly necessary. Demystifying Misophonia will help you identify what's at the root of your misophonia iceberg, and many therapists are equipped to help address these things (for example, unresolved trauma, perfectionism, poor boundaries, shame, insufficient nervous system regulation strategies, excessive stress, and more). The book also offers a number of strategies on these topics to help you get started until you're able to go deeper with the support of a therapist. At some point, you’ll likely need to work with a therapist trained in a memory reconsolidation model (for example, Coherence Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), or Somatic Experiencing (SE)).

Got Follow-Up Questions?

If you have any questions or thoughts after reading the book, please share them below. Your feedback will help guide what I include in future offerings and resources. Thank you!