Misophonia, also known as the syndrome of exceptional acoustic sensitivity or sound frequency, is a condition where specific sounds trigger negative emotions, thoughts, and physical reactions in individuals. It is not classified as a hearing or psychiatric disorder.

What are the signs and symptoms of misophonia?

People with misophonia often experience strong negative reactions to 'trigger sounds,' which can be soft but are often related to the mouth, such as eating, slurping, or chewing. These reactions may include aggression, avoidance, or trying to block out the sound.

What causes misophonia?

The exact cause of misophonia is unknown, but it is believed to involve dysfunction in the central auditory system of the brain. The context and perceived origin of the sound are essential triggers.

How is misophonia diagnosed?

There are no standard diagnostic criteria for misophonia. It is different from hyperacusis and phonophobia. It is unclear if it is associated with comorbid conditions or genetics.

What is the treatment for misophonia?

Treatment for misophonia typically involves cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy. However, there are no evidence-based treatments, and their effectiveness is not well-established.

Is misophonia classified as a disorder?

Misophonia is not recognized as a disorder in the DSM-IV or ICD 10 classification. It may be considered a form of synesthesia of sound emotions and has parallels with some anxiety-related conditions.

What is known about the prevalence of misophonia?

The prevalence of misophonia is unknown, and it is unclear whether it affects men or women, older or younger individuals more. Research in this area is limited.

Fear Of Sounds (Misophonia): Symptoms, Diagnosis, Classification, Treatment

Fear of sounds is also clinically called misophonia, whose synonym we could call syndrome of exceptional acoustic sensitivity, sound frequency. People who are sensitive to certain sounds sometimes manage by blocking them out.

Misophonia, literally “hatred of sound,” was proposed in 2000 as a condition in which negative emotions, thoughts, and physical reactions are triggered by specific sounds.

Misophonia is not classified as a hearing or psychiatric condition, there are no standard diagnostic criteria, and there is little research on how common it is or the treatment. Advocates suggest that misophonia can negatively affect the ability to achieve life goals and enjoy social situations.

Treatment consists of developing coping strategies through cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy.

Index

Signs and symptoms

As of 2016, the literature on misophonia was limited.1] Some small studies show that people with misophonia generally have strong negative feelings, thoughts, and physical reactions to specific sounds, which the literature calls “trigger sounds.”

These sounds are soft, but they can be loud.
One study found that about 80% of the sounds were related to the mouth (eating, slurping, chewing or gum, whispering, etc.), and about 60% were repetitive.
A visual trigger can be developed related to the sound of the stimulus.
It also seems that an adverse reaction can occur without a natural sound.
Reactions to triggers can include aggression towards the source of the sound, leaving it, staying in its presence but suffering, trying to block it, or imitating it.
The first maleficent reaction can occur when a person is young and can originate from someone in a close relationship or a pet.
People with misophonia are aware that they experience it, and some consider it abnormal; the disruption it causes in their lives ranges from mild to severe.
Avoidance and other behaviors can make it difficult for people with this condition to achieve their goals and enjoy interpersonal interactions.

It causes

The mechanism of misophonia is unknown, but it appears that, like hyperacusis, it may be caused by dysfunction of the central auditory system in the brain rather than the ears.
The perceived origin and context of the sound appear to be essential in triggering a reaction.

Diagnosis

There are no standard diagnostic criteria.
Misophonia is distinguished from hyperacusis, which is not specific to a given sound and does not involve a similarly strong reaction. Phonophobia is a fear of a particular sound but can occur with either.
It is not clear if people with misophonia usually have comorbid conditions or if there is a genetic component.

You can also read about: Fear Of Clowns: Origin, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Classification

The diagnosis of misophonia is not recognized in DSM-IV or ICD 10, and it is not classified as a hearing or psychiatric disorder.
It can be a form of synesthesia of sound emotions and has parallels with some diseases of anxiety.
As of 2015, it was unclear whether misophonia should be classified as a symptom or condition.

epidemiology

The prevalence is unknown; it is unknown whether men or women or older or younger people are more likely to have misophonia.

Treatment

Cognitive behavioral therapy
There are no evidence-based treatments for the condition; Generally, healthcare providers try to help people cope by acknowledging what the person is experiencing and working on coping strategies.
A few small studies have been published on sound therapy similar to tinnitus retraining therapy and on cognitive behavioral therapy, particularly exposure therapy, to help people become less aware of the triggering sound.
Neither of these approaches has been sufficiently studied to determine their effectiveness.

Georgia Tarrant

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Hello, how are you? My name is Georgia Tarrant, and I am a clinical psychologist. In everyday life, professional obligations seem to predominate over our personal life. It's as if work takes up more and more of the time we'd love to devote to our love life, our family, or even a moment of leisure.