Long before I knew there was a name for it, I had a mild case of misophonia.
Small, repetitive sounds irritated anddistractedme.
Researchersfirst named misophonia as a condition in 2001.
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Samermit says its not really hatredits more of an overwhelmingfight-or-flight response.
It can involve physical and emotional manifestations of irritation, anxiety, rage, and more.
And its not exactly just sound because that may be overgeneralizing.
Misophonia triggers often have multisensory aspects that go beyond noise, like visual and tactile components, for instance.
Misophonia is not in the DSM-5, which is the manual mental health experts use to diagnose mental illnesses.
Instead, at present, many experts consider it more of a neurological condition than a psychiatric disorder.
Prior to lockdown, my boyfriend, Martin, and I were always on the move.
It wasnt unusual for several days to pass without us having a synchronized mealtime.
Here are some tips and strategies Im using to cope that may also work for you.
Having misophonia can be isolating.
Misophonia often also leads to feelings of shame as a result of the anger involved.
Its unknown exactly how many people have misophonia.M.
Educate yourself about the condition.
The condition lacks expert consensus on the definition or a proven treatment protocol.
3. take a stab at avoid your triggers.
Make the most of white noise.
Despite my increased struggles with misophonia, Martin and I enjoycookingand sharing meals together.
I cant just listen to him chew.
I like having a little bit of white noise in every room.
Ive also discovered a white noise app I really like:White Noise Market.
When we sit down to eat, I let Martin choose and ask him, Rain or train?
Jennifer Jo Brout, Psy.D., L.P.C., is director of theInternational Misophonia Research Networkand also has misophonia herself.
She has been leading much of the charge with misophonia research.
Moving my body is actually a key component to maintaining good mental health.
Consider therapy if you could.
Others may need evidence-based treatment that targets both misophonia and co-occurring conditions likeanxietyor mood disorders.
And although data is currently limited, the science is catching up.
I feel so much less alone now.
