That friend who becomes insanely annoyed by someone breathing heavily or snapping their gum isn’t a drama queen: She could suffer from a real—albeit rare—condition called misophonia.
Literally, misophonia means hatred of sound. But the condition is much more than that. “Misophonia is a selective sensitivity in which certain sounds that occur from another person or environmentally cause incredible distress,” says Eric Storch, Ph.D., a University of South Florida child and adolescent psychologist and clinical director of Rogers Behavioral Health in Tampa Bay.
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With misophonia, not all sounds cause reactions—and we’re talking about different reactions than the ones we all might have if someone dragged fingernails across a chalkboard.
People with the condition can suffer from side effects ranging from getting super stressed, anxious, or upset, to feeling angry, seriously frustrated, or disgusted by a noise. How someone feels varies in intensity from person to person.
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Literally, misophonia means hatred of sound.
“Trigger sounds” also vary, notes Storch, but these usually tend to be chewing, breathing loudly, someone blowing their nose, coughing, or almost any other bodily noise, he says. Someone shaking their foot or pants swishing together can also set someone off.
So why can these sounds push so many buttons? The jury’s still out, but Storch says that it could come down to the fact that some people simply have a more intense biological sensitivity to certain sounds. And those who experience side effects may end up trying to avoid their triggers, which can worsen the problem.
Think about it: If you avoid something in your life that’s distressing, that may work in the short term, but in the long run it backfires. You may start to pass on obligations or social situations you’d normally take part in—which takes an even bigger toll on well-being, says Storch.
Another bummer: “In general, people who you know may bother you more than a stranger,” says Storch. This may be because we’re simply around friends and family more, he explains.
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‘Trigger sounds’ include chewing, breathing loudly, and someone blowing their nose.
Other times, reactions could pop up around people who you can’t show your true colors around or in situations you can’t change—a student may be bothered by a teacher who she has to behave well around; an employee may grow irritated in a confining office space.
So what can be done to ease the pain? Unfortunately, Storch says effective interventions are still being studied.
For now, if you’re suffering, your best bet may be to touch base with a psychologist or psychiatrist. Certain forms of therapy like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be effective.
Also, make sure to be upfront with your family and friends. Many people don’t know much about misophonia—it’s not classified as a disorder in the DSM-V (the psychiatric bible), though some experts believe it should be. So simply bringing awareness to the condition—and making those around you aware that snapping gum isn’t just a pet peeve but part of something larger—will help people become more sensitive to your needs.
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