"misophonia guide for doctors"

This article is not meant to be medical advice. It was written by another misophonia sufferer and is a candid account of her own experiences. If you are looking for a professional, please go to www.misophoniaproviders.com.

We have all been there, suffering for months, years or a lifetime with this abnormal aversion to sound. One day we decide to call on our friend “Google” and learn there is a name for this affliction. We read an article or two and BINGO! WOW! That is me! A sigh of relief follows with the “now what do I do?”

Our first instinct is to call a doctor because certainly there is a magic pill I can take that will let me eat in the same room with my family without wanting to strangle someone. Chances are that at some point in your life you have mentioned your aversion to sound to one of your medical providers and your concerns were most likely ignored or dismissed. Why? Why didn’t my doctor diagnose me with Misophonia? Frankly, your doctor(s) have never heard about Misophonia

Who can I call? Where can I go for help? Misophonia is primarily self-diagnosed. Why? There are so few providers familiar with this condition. First, ask yourself why? What is the purpose? The reason I ask you that question is simple.

It is very challenging to find a provider familiar with Misophonia. If you are looking for a medical provider to confirm your self-diagnosis for validation, I would not waste your time and resources. There is not an ICD-10 code for Misophonia (The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) is a system used by physicians and other healthcare providers to classify and code all diagnoses, symptoms and procedures recorded in conjunction with hospital care in the United States.) This does not mean that your condition is not real, it just means doctors are unfamiliar with it.

If you require accommodations for work or school, you will need medical documentation. In this case, I do suggest that you have your diagnosis confirmed. What type of provider can diagnose Misophonia? Here are some options:

NEUROLOGICAL TESTING CENTER- A neurological testing center can diagnose sensory processing conditions and have resources to refer you for follow up care. Please be wary of providers that say that can cure you. I think it is safe to say that ALL Misophonia sufferers are desperate for relief. Some providers will prey upon this to fatten their wallets.

At this time, there is no medication or proven treatment but there are coping mechanisms you can use. Let’s look at some of the resources you can use.0

AUDIOLOGIST- It is unlikely that you will find a private practice Audiologist familiar with Misophonia. Finding providers will require a significant amount of research. Contacting Audiology departments at larger hospitals will increase your chances of finding someone. Your first question should be, “Does the audiologist treat Misophonia patients?” If the answer is no, move on. One wrong move a sufferer will make is taking articles and information on the condition to the provider. This is not going to make your doctor an expert on Misophonia, so why bother? Naturally, it is a good idea to share the information with your existing providers, but you cannot force a doctor to be able to help you after reading a few articles.

 

What can an audiologist do for me?

An audiologist familiar with Misophonia can diagnose your condition. More than likely it will be coded as something like Abnormal Auditory sensory processing for insurance purposes. They can also prescribe in-ear sound generators, which have been a helpful coping mechanism for some sufferers. Please verify with your insurance plan to see if hearing aids are a covered benefit (they are not covered by all plans.) If they are not covered, the cost starts at approximately $2500. Some providers may offer a free trial for a few weeks. No need to panic, the amplification feature is turned off. The hearing aids will stream very soft sounds, or you can have them programmed to play your colored noises. The pair I was prescribed was programmed with fractal tones and the audiologist followed a TRT protocol (tinnitus retraining therapy).

 

An audiologist can also make a pair of custom molded earplugs. They are expensive (around $150) compared to over the counter foam or silicone, but I have to say that they are truly a lifesaver. By lifesaver, I mean they have prevented me from murdering my snoring husband in his sleep. 😊 I can sleep very comfortably and do not wake up with sore or tender ears. Soap and water keep them clean and I only keep them by my bedside, so I do not lose them. Additionally, if you do opt to use the in-ear sound generators, they can make the custom molded earplugs to use in conjunction with them.

 

PSYCHOLOGIST/THERAPIST- These types of providers can help you find some coping mechanisms that work for you. I would recommend finding a provider who works with patients who suffer from sensory issues or autism, I am not saying Misophonia is on the spectrum. I just feel that it is crucial to find someone who can be extra sensitive to your sensory triggers and needs. Remember, we all have different triggers as well as different coping mechanisms, so what works for me, may not work for you and that is okay. For the most part, I have not found any of the coping techniques particularly helpful in the trigger moment, but they have helped me be proactively for various trigger situations. Let’s face it, sometimes we all must go to a place that we know we will be triggered. It is much easier to walk into that situation as prepared as you can be to handle those triggers.

PSYCHIATRIST- Once again, I must warn you. Some psychiatrists can diagnose sensory processing disorders (which Misophonia falls under). Another instance where pre-screening is very important. If you fail to confirm the provider can diagnose sensory processing conditions, you run the risk of having this condition being diagnosed as a mental illness. As such, doctors are so quick to pull out their prescription pad. Mental illness medications and side effects are terrifying. Did you know that one of the side effects of many anti-depressants is suicidal thoughts? If you do not have a mental illness, some medications can cause mental illness symptoms.

I think one reason it is diagnosed as mental illness related is due to the reactions of the triggers. As you know, when you visit a mental health provider, you are typically given a questionnaire asking about your thoughts and feelings. Chances are that your anxiety is higher because you do not know what triggers you may encounter. Often, I have asked, “should I complete this document based on how I regularly feel? Or how I feel when I am triggered?” The reply has been, “do it based on how you feel NOW.” Well, that certainly is not an accurate assessment. Of course, I am triggered, so naturally based on the “in the moment” answers I can understand why the provider would label it as “anxiety” or “depression.” The last new provider that I went to, I tried a NEW approach. I completed this document when I was at home in my everyday mode. I completed a second form while I was recovering from a meltdown. The answers were like night and day. The psychologist was floored that there was such a vast difference in my mental state when I was in trigger mode.

One thing to remember is that there is a difference between general anxiety and sensory induced anxiety. For some reasons, medications have little, if any effect on sensory anxiety.

I am sure there may be other providers out there, my knowledge is still a work in progress, but I wanted to share a few resources available.

Download FREE the printable guide to take to your doctor here.