Overview of Misophonia Treatment

Misophonia involves a negative reaction to sounds such as chewing, tapping, or ticking. Individuals who live with misophonia can experience negative impacts on their day-to-day life. Misophonia treatment can help better manage negative reactions to specific sound triggers.

While misophonia treatment and understanding of the condition in general requires further research, there have been some promising advances made with regard to managing responses to triggering sounds as well as using white noise generators or other ambient noise to reduce discomfort.

If you are a person living with misophonia or think that you may have this condition because of your reactions to certain sounds, it's important to know that there are treatment options available to you. Be sure to make an appointment with your doctor if you wish to investigate these options further or learn what might work for you.

What Is Misophonia?

Misophonia is named for the Greek word meaning "hatred of sound" and has also been referred to using the term "selective sound sensitivity syndrome." However, misophonia is not currently a recognized diagnosable disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

For these individuals, the triggering sounds are similar to what it would be like for the everyday person to hear nails on a chalkboard. In general, these triggers are sounds that do not bother other people, or that others barely notice.

For the person with misophonia, emotional reactions to triggers may seem impossible to control and involve anger directed at the person who was making the noise. Afterward, the person may feel bad or guilty for getting mad over a sound, even though at the time their actions seemed justified. For this reason, many people with misophonia experience interpersonal effects in their daily lives.

Sensitive to Sound or Misophonia?

How can you tell if someone has misophonia versus a sensitivity to sound? Indicators might include a reaction of panic or rage if the noise does not stop.

If the person seems unable to control their reaction to the sound and then is apologetic afterward, this could also be a sign of misophonia.

Examples of Misophonia Triggers

Triggers vary from person to person, and may even shift for a person over time. Below are some examples of sounds that may trigger a reaction in individuals with misophonia.

• Bodily sounds made by others
• Chewing (gum, chips, popcorn)
• Slurping
• Swallowing
• Throat clearing
• Lip smacking
• Sniffling
• Breathing
• Snoring
  
• Visual triggers, which can be as distubring as auditory triggers for some
• Foot wagging
• Nose rubbing
• Hair twirling
• Non-bodily triggers
• Pen tapping
• Writing
• Papers rustling
• Ticking clock
• Typing
• Slamming car door
• Crickets chirping
• Birds chirping

Treatments for Misophonia

Various treatments have been proposed for misophonia and are outlined below. These range from buying items like white noise devices to more involved treatment like hypnotherapy.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)

Tinnitus is a condition in which a person hears a persistent ringing in the ears that can cause discomfort, agitation, and interfere with daily life. Naturally, treatments for tinnitus can sometimes be extended to treat misophonia. Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) involves learning to tolerate noise so that it no longer causes the person as much discomfort.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Techniques, and Relaxation

Several types of behavioral treatment are applicable to misophonia. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help individuals learn to better understand their reactions to triggering sounds as well as develop coping strategies to manage negative reactions. Specifically, this might involve changing negative thinking patterns related to the triggering sounds.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) involves learning to manage emotions through techniques such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation.

Some people with misophonia may benefit from more simple relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation. This technique involves learning to trigger the relaxation response by practicing alternating tensing and relaxing different parts of the body.

White Noise Devices

Some people with misophonia respond well to white noise that masks sounds that trigger reactions. These can either be ear-level devices that play sounds (e.g., sound of a waterfall or a river) or room-level devices such as a fan or white noise machine.

White noise devices are generally obtained through audiologists and can be quite expensive so it's best to see if your insurance will cover such a device before choosing this option.

On the other hand, a smart phone or iPod and earpods or headphones could achieve the same effect less money if you use using a sound app to play white noise. To make this most effective, the person with misophonia would use headphones that do not completely block outside sounds so that they can still hear over the ambient noise.

The goal of using these types of devices is to add background sounds to your environment and avoid silence so triggering sounds are not as loud or blend in with the white noise sounds, thus making them less intrusive. These options may be best if you struggle to manage reactions by changing your thinking patterns alone.

Medication

There are no medications approved for the treatment of misophonia. However, it's important to discuss medication options with your doctor, as there could be other medications that could help you to manage symptoms. It's also possible that advances in research will identify new treatments for misophonia, including options that involve medication.

Hypnotherapy, Biofeedback, and Other Therapies

Other types of therapies have been applied to misophonia such as hypnotherapy, biofeedback, and neurofeedback. If you are interested in these types of therapies, it's best to look into a specialist provider either through your personal doctor or online resources.

How to Find Misophonia Treatment

If you are living with misophonia, it's important to reach out to your doctor, mental health professional, or alternative medicine provider to learn about options that could help you quickly, as prolonged exposure can make misophonia worse.

You may consider visiting the Misophonia Institute online to learn more about the condition and what can be done to help. This institute includes a treatment provider directory that lists providers based on location as well as profession/specialization.

The Misophonia Treatment Institute also offers assessment, management, training, and treatment remotely by phone or online. They also offer resources for children as far as accommodations at school as well as parenting coaches. If you are a parent struggling to find help for your child living with misophonia, this could be a good option to look into.

Summary

While living with misophonia may be frustrating, there are treatment options available to you. If you've never tried a white noise device, therapy, or other treatments directed at reducing your discomfort, these are good options to consider.

Finally, if you are struggling with problematic reactions to noise, know that you are not alone in your experience, no matter how much it might seem like others can't understand what you are going through. Misophonia is a real condition that is not just "all in your head." You deserve compassion and understanding as well as the ability to use devices and accommodations that help you better cope in daily life.