Why everyday sounds are a nightmare for people like Ben
Ben Lamberton doesn’t remember exactly when he started experiencing misphonia, but a different memory comes to mind.
“[It was] “It goes towards the end of childhood, into the teenage years,” explains Lamberton, a master’s student in audiology at the University of Queensland.
“A beloved family member developed chronic asthma and began coughing quite constantly, sometimes in the middle of the night.
“I just remember retreating and wanting to run away or lash out in anger.”
Misophonia is a chronic condition characterized by decreased tolerance for or aversion to certain sounds. Common sounds such as chewing, sneezing, humming, or pen clicking can cause strong emotional reactions and automatic stimulation of the nervous system in people suffering from this little-known disorder.
“I clearly remember the chewing sounds my family members made when they were at the dinner table, and everything related to eating and drinking. [would cause me to] Lamberton says I had recoil and sometimes quite violent reactions in my youth.
“Luckily I don’t do that anymore, but maybe this will give you an idea of how threatening something quite harmless can be to me.”
American neuroscientists Pawel and Margaret Jastreboff coined the term “misophonia” in 2001, derived from Greek words meaning “hatred of sound”.
Despite increasing awareness of this disorder, which can occur alongside other conditions such as autism, ADHD and OCD, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), so it is not supported by diagnostic frameworks, and research into what causes people to become intolerant of certain sounds is limited.
a study published last year It has been found that people with misophonia may struggle with “emotional flexibility,” a skill that allows them to switch their attention between emotional and non-emotional information, and may be particularly prone to rumination on emotional stimuli.
Other research It suggests that people with misophonia have an overactive anterior insula (the emotional center of the brain) and excessive connectivity between the sound processing center of the ear and parts of the brain. Although most people with misophonia have normal hearing sensitivity, potential auditory factors such as increased hearing have also been investigated.
In general, researchers recommend Misophonia is a complex neurological conditionMore studies are needed to understand who is affected and why.
Melbourne-based psychologist Michelle Harris began researching and treating people with misophonia a decade ago.
“I had a client [who] He couldn’t understand why he was so incredibly angry – his face was red – at his beautiful fiancée, whom he had just admired. [when she would] eat,” explains Harris.
“Then I started looking into what it could be.”
Harris describes misphonia as an intrusive and overwhelming condition.
“This sound a patient hears can be likened to a jackhammer to us… It becomes the only sound he hears in the room.”
Triggering sounds elicit the fight-or-flight response in people with misophonia and can lead to aggressive outbursts, anxiety, and avoidance. Many patients report poor mental health and difficulty with relationships and social interactions as a result of this condition.
When treating misophonia, Harris initially uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people understand their thoughts and behaviors and the factors that compound their stress and reactions.
Some will then continue hypnotherapy to learn how to detach from the specificity of the voices.
“There are always a lot of voices around us that we have become accustomed to,” says Harris.
“Part of the work in hypnosis is just making the clicking of a pen, or the sounds people are making with their mouths, or chewing or tapping on the keyboard, background noises… something that is just everyday noise, not a focus that should trigger a response.”
Orofacial sounds (sniffing, coughing, and sneezing) are Lamberton’s worst triggers, and like many people with misophonia, he has a stronger reaction to sounds made by people he’s close to.
“According to me [my family] “I started to accept that this was a real challenge for me, but I didn’t feel this supported as a child,” she says.
“I think my hardest challenge was not feeling excessive shame and finding ways to express that without feeling like I was a complete burden to those around me.
“Putting it on the table seems like an important first step [and saying] this is happening. Where do we go from here?
“If more people become comfortable sharing their experiences, then perhaps this will be reflected in increased research and management measures.”
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