Misophonia: disproportionate reactions to normal sounds – Online Psychologists

It is very likely that in your daily life you certain noises botherbecause of their intensity, their sharpness or they just bother you because they do. There are people who cannot live listening to those sounds and react accordingly. disproportionately before them, that means they suffer misophoniaIf you want to know more about it and not treat those who suffer from it as hysterical, stay and we will explain what it consists of.

The first to name this disorder were the American scientists Pawel J. Jastreboff and Margaret M. Jastreboff in 2001 and defined it as «A series of abnormally strong reactions of the limbic and autonomic systems resulting from enhanced connections between the auditory and limbic systems».

The person who suffers from it has a low tolerance When faced with certain types of sounds, each person is different and there is no common characteristic. They do not have to be loud, low or high-pitched sounds.

Confusion between these three terms is often very common, even in medical diagnosis. main difference What can help us categorize what is happening to us is that misophonia is the disproportionate reaction to specific sounds, regardless of intensity. In the case of the hyperacusisthere is also an exaggerated response, usually in form of pain and, in this case, they are perceived with greater intensity, affecting most sounds, there is not one in particular. On the other hand, the phonophobiaproduces reactions of anxiety and fear to certain sounds.

Being such a recent term, the origin of misophonia is a stranger. It is not a disease but it must be considered as a occasional physiological deviation. However, there are diseases in which misophonia is more frequent, we are talking about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tourette Syndrome or anxiety-depressive disorders. In these cases, it is not considered a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of those mentioned.

On the other hand, a study published in the journal Current Biology explains that there are differences in the frontal lobe between people who suffer from this disorder and those who do not. This could lead to people who suffer from it experiencing these noises that are apparently normal as unpleasant, having, in some cases, a faster heart rate.

The manifestations that a misophonic person presents are: different for each individual. In most cases, reactions usually come from the sounds made by other peoplethe most common are: chewing, kissing, sipping, whistling… But, on other occasions, those affected present manifestations before repetitive stimuli or environmental sounds. Some examples could be: alarm sounds, the hand of a clock, the sound of the keys of a computer, etc. In many cases, noises occur in everyday life and are practically impossible to avoidA clear example is the sound emitted by some household appliances.

All these noises produce in the affected person a state of agitation and discomfort which often leads to anger or bad mood. It alters their well-being and their daily life can be damaged by the situation. incomprehension by other people can lead them to a social distancing at the possibility of being judged and criticized.

Finally, another of the reactions that they usually present is the use of headphones or earplugs, in order to avoid those sounds. Also, changing schedules and daily habits are often common practices to avoid exposure to them.

There is currently no treatment that guarantees an end to misophonia, but Psychological treatment is the best option to help the person suffering from it to cope with the problem. Some of the objectives set in psychology are: