With so many misconceptions about misophonia I decided to put together a list of preconceived theories for people who are not familiar with the disorder.
MYTH Misophonia means you hate sound
REALITY
While hatred of sound is the literal definition, misophonia sufferes are negatively impacted by certain trigger sounds, which leads to adverse reactions such as a fight or flight response. A more accurate definition is being tortured by sound.
MYTH It’s not a big deal. Just ignore it
REALITY
It IS a big deal. A misophonia sufferer cannot tune out trigger sounds or ignore them. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Our ears tend to zone in on the trigger sound, blocking everything else out. Trust me, if we could ignore it, we would.
MYTH Misophonia? Oh, isn’t that when you get annoyed at people chewing?
REALITY
While most misophonia sufferers find chewing/mouth sounds to be the most common triggers, there are so many other sounds that also affect the misophonia sufferer. These include tapping, other repetitive sounds, clicking, sniffling, breathing, etc. The list of trigger sounds is endless.
MYTH Oh, I hate that sound. I must have misophonia too.
REALITY
There is a vast difference between hating something and being triggered. You can hate broccoli, but you can avoid it. If it is on your plate you can dump it into the trash. Being triggered brings on intense and raging emotions. If you are triggered by a sound, the ONLY thing you can think about is how to make it stop and go away. Often, you cannot make it go away, and it may continue to echo in your head as the day goes on.
Hating certain sounds can be common, such as nails on a chalkboard or snoring. They annoy you; you do not like them, but you are able to get past them.
When you have Misophonia, you can’t. You feel hate, rage, you may want to hurt someone, and/or you may want to hurt yourself just from hearing one little sound that no one else seems to notice. Sometimes, you become so triggered you experience a meltdown. (Sometimes you feel so emotionally overwhelmed by unpleasant feelings that you can no longer control them or hide them from others.)
MYTH Take a pill and you will be all better.
REALITY
It would be nice if there was a magic pill that could help. However, there is currently no medication for misophonia. While some sufferers find some relief to their reactions by taking anxiety medication, anxiety medications are not intended for misophonia.
MYTH Just keep listening to the sound and you will get used to it.
REALITY
NOT TRUE! The more you hear a sound, the more of a trigger it will become. Exposure makes the triggers worse. Think of a swimming pool: when you jump in the water, it’s freezing. A while later you get used to it. Translating that water into sound, the water gets colder and colder until it is freezing. Similarly, if you can imagine being in a dark room, and then walking outside to a bright sunny day, you immediately shut your eyes as they begin to adapt to the change in brightness. With Misophonia, if you think of the sun as the sound, it gets brighter and brighter; literally blinding you.
MYTH Seriously? You cannot possibly hear that little noise.
REALITY
People with misophonia have exceptional hearing. Our sense of hearing is hyper sensitive and we can hear certain sounds that most people cannot. For many of us, our hearing is so sharp that sounds are often amplified. One sufferer during a visit to an acupuncturist heard the needle drop. We really are that sensitive to sound.
MYTH You used to get upset when I was chewing, and now you’re triggered because I clicked my pen?
REALITY
Triggers have a way of growing. Like a cell, you have one trigger, and as time passes you develop additional triggers. And that cell will grow into a giant misophonia monster.
MYTH Katie has misophonia and chewing is not a trigger for her. Why does it bother you?
REALITY
We are all different, individual people. Therefore, we all have different triggers.
MYTH When Tommy is triggered, he puts on his headphones and he is fine. He doesn’t freak out.
REALITY
Just as we all have different triggers, our coping mechanisms are also different. White noise is often recommended for a sufferers. For me, white noise IS a trigger. Some people find yoga or exercise helpful, and others prefer absolute solitude. We are like snowflakes; we are all different. What works for one of us does not work for all of us. Misophonia is not “one size fits all.”
MYTH You heard that crunching an hour ago. Get over it! Yesterday when you heard that sound, you didn’t go ballistic.
REALITY
Depending on your general state of mind, and the intensity of your trigger, bouncing back from a trigger is not instantaneous. For many sufferers, the reaction can last an extended period of time. We would love nothing more than to get over it and go on with our day.
Our triggers are our triggers. We cannot change them, but our reactions to those triggers CAN change. One day a trigger might send me into a rage, the next day the same trigger may upset me. But I can refrain from anything further. Another day, I just might break down into tears. That is the strange thing about misophonia. It is very unpredictable.
MYTH Do you really have to start yelling and throwing things? For crying out loud, I was just chewing a piece of gum.
REALITY
Yes, I do have to start yelling or throwing things. I don’t mean to. That is just my natural reaction to the trigger sound. I do not want to react, but sometimes I will just lash out without thought.
MYTH You must really hate me. You are always so grumpy around me.
REALITY
No, I do not hate you. At all. But the sounds that you make trigger me, and it is difficult to be around you. It is not YOU, it is the sounds. Please do not take it personally.
MYTH If the doctor doesn’t diagnose you with misophonia, it cannot be real
REALITY
Not true! There are very few medical professionals who are familiar with misophonia. Honestly, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. Most sufferers are self diagnosed. Many do require special accommodations for work or school and will require medical documentation, some people even get misdiagnosis and need to suffer consequences and other treatments they don’t need and end up recurring to sites as www.the-medical-negligence-experts.co.uk to repair these damages. In that case, consult the audiology department at the hospitals. Screen the provider to make sure they do know about misophonia so you don’t waste your time.
QUESTION Is there anything I can do to help you?
ANSWER
Yes. The most important thing you can do is offer me your support and understanding. Understand that if I walk out of a room, I need to escape for solitude. I need to get away from whatever is triggering me. Listen to me when I tell you my triggers and how they make me feel. Understand that I have no control over what triggers me, and if I need to step away from the dinner table, it is not because I am not enjoying your company. I just can’t handle the trigger sounds.
Learn about misophonia, and help spread awareness.