Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. TOTOTO Ben Lamberton can’t remember exactly when he started experiencing misophonia, but one distinct memory comes to mind. “[It was] around late childhood and into adolescence,” explains Lamberton, a master’s student in audiology at the University
Ben Lamberton can’t remember exactly when he started experiencing misophonia, but one distinct memory comes to mind.
“[It was] around late childhood and into adolescence,” explains Lamberton, a master’s student in audiology at the University of Queensland.
“A beloved family member developed chronic asthma and began coughing constantly, sometimes in the middle of the night.
“I remember just recoiling and wanting to run away or attack in anger.”
Misophonia is a chronic illness characterized by a reduced tolerance or hatred of specific sounds. Common noises such as chewing, sneezing, humming, or clicking a pen can trigger strong emotional reactions and automatic activation of the nervous system in people suffering from this little-known disorder.
“I clearly remember with my family members at the table, chewing noises, anything associated with eating or drinking, [would cause me to] he would recoil and sometimes react quite violently as a teenager,” Lamberton says.
“Thankfully I don’t do that anymore, but maybe that gives an idea of how threatened I felt by something that’s pretty harmless.”
American neuroscientists Pawel and Margaret Jastreboff coined the term “misophonia” in 2001, derived from Greek words meaning “hatred of sound.”
Despite growing awareness of this disorder, which can coexist with other conditions such as autism, ADHD and OCD, it is not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), so it is not supported by diagnostic frameworks, and research into what causes people to become intolerant to certain sounds is limited.
A study published last year found that people with misophonia may have difficulty with “affective flexibility,” a skill that allows them to shift attention between emotional and non-emotional information, and may have a tendency to ruminate, particularly on emotional stimuli.
Other research suggests that people with misophonia have an overactive anterior insula (the emotional center of the brain) and hyperconnectivity between the sound processing center of the ear and parts of the brain. Possible auditory factors, such as increased hearing, have also been explored, although most people with misophonia have normal hearing sensitivity.
Overall, researchers suggest that misophonia is a complex neurological condition, and that more work is needed to understand who is affected and why.
Melbourne-based psychologist Michelle Harris began researching and treating people with misophonia a decade ago.
“I had a client [who] She couldn’t understand why she got so angry – like blushing – at her beautiful fiancé, whom she simply adored. [when she would] eat,” explains Harris.
“So I started researching what this could be.”
Harris describes misophonia as an intrusive and overwhelming condition.
“For those who suffer from it, that noise they hear could be compared to a jackhammer, for us… it becomes the only sound they hear in a room.”
Trigger noises provoke a fight or flight response in people with misophonia and can lead to aggressive outbursts, anxiety, and avoidance. Many patients report poor mental health and struggle with relationships and social interactions as a result of this condition.
Harris uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) primarily when treating misophonia to help people understand their thoughts and behaviors, and any factors that exacerbate their stress and reactions.
Some will then continue with hypnotherapy, he says, to learn to tune out the specificity of sounds.
“There are a lot of sounds happening around us all the time that we get used to,” Harris says.
“Part of the work in hypnosis is just making the clicking of a pen or the noises that people make with their mouth or chewing or tapping on a keyboard, background noises… something that’s just everyday noise, not a focus that needs to instigate a reaction.”
Orofacial sounds (sniffing, coughing, and sneezing) are Lamberton’s worst triggers, and he, like many people with misophonia, has a stronger reaction to noises made by people close to him.
“Believe [my family] “I’ve come to accept that this is a real challenge for me, but as a kid, I didn’t really feel that supported,” he says.
“I think my hardest problem has been not feeling immense shame and finding ways to communicate it without feeling like I’m a complete burden to those around me.
“It seems like an important first step is to put it on the table. [and saying] this is happening. Where do we go from here?
“If more people feel comfortable sharing their experience, then perhaps that will extend to more research and management measures.”
Start your day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
From our partners
Keep following us for the latest insights.
