Is Misophonia A Brain Disorder?

A breakthrough study recently found that misophonia is

a brain-based disorder

. Researchers point to a disruption in the connectivity in parts of the brain that process both sound stimulation and the fight/flight response. It also involves parts of the brain that code the importance of sounds.

Is misophonia neurological or psychological?

The best way to classify misophonia is as a

neurophysiological disorder with psychological consequences

. More specifically, individuals with misophonia experience heightened autonomic nervous system arousal accompanied by negative emotional reactivity in response to specific, pattern-based sounds.

Is misophonia a mental health issue?

Nonetheless, misophonia is a real disorder and one that seriously compromises functioning,

socializing, and ultimately mental health

. Misophonia usually appears around age 12, and likely affects more people than we realize.

Is misophonia a form of autism?

Since some children with autism can have a difficult time with sensory stimulation, and particularly loud sounds, there has been speculation that

misophonia and autism may be linked

.

What is misophonia caused by?

Misophonia is a form of conditioned behavior that develops as a

physical reflex through classical conditioning

with a misophonia trigger (e.g., eating noises, lip-smacking, pen clicking, tapping and typing …) as the conditioned stimulus, and anger, irritation or stress the unconditioned stimulus.

Can misophonia go away?

While

there is no known specific cure for misophonia

and little rigorous (controlled studies) research regarding effective treatments, there are a number of approaches that tend to be used with some apparent success.

Is misophonia a symptom of ADHD?

It’s a real thing, called misophonia — the dislike or even hatred of small, routine sounds, such as someone chewing, slurping, yawning, or breathing. It’s often

an ADHD comorbidity

. Similar to ADHD itself, misophonia is not something we can just get over if only we tried harder.

Does misophonia worsen with age?

Without treatment, the prognosis for misophonia is grim.

The misophonic responses usually get worse and worse

, and the negative impact on the person’s life gets progressively greater.

Is misophonia linked to anxiety?

The disorder can put a cramp in your social life. Those with the misophonia have been

known to develop anticipatory anxiety

when going into situations where trigger sounds may be present.

Is misophonia a disability?

The ADA

does not identify specific disabilities

. Rather it defines a disability as a condition that “substantially limits one or more major life activity.” Misophonia definitely meets this criteria.

How do you calm down misophonia?

One strategy for coping with misophonia is to

slowly expose yourself to your triggers at low doses and in low-stress situations

. This strategy works best with the help of a therapist or doctor. Try carrying earplugs when you go out in public.

Why do I get so angry when I hear chewing?

For people with a rare condition known as misophonia, certain sounds like slurping, chewing, tapping and clicking can elicit intense feelings of rage or panic.

Is misophonia a symptom of OCD?

Misophonia was

more strongly related to obsessive symptoms of OCD

. OCD symptoms partially mediated the relationship between AS severity and misophonia. Results are consistent with cognitive-behavioral conceptualizations of misophonia.

What should I do if I have misophonia?

1. Tinnitus retraining therapy. In one course of treatment known as tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), people are taught to better tolerate noise.
2. Cognitive behavioral therapy. …
3. Counseling.

What do you call a person with misophonia?

The term misophonia, meaning “hatred of sound,” was coined in 2000 for people who were not afraid of sounds — such people are called

phonophobic

— but for those who strongly disliked certain noises.

Why is my misophonia getting worse?

Blocking out sound actually makes the misophonia worse

. The trigger sounds become much more intrusive — perhaps even more trigger sounds develop — and earplugs are worn more frequently. Recent research has shown that we have central auditory gain.