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How to Cope with the "Hatred of Sound" - Misophonia

Updated: Mar 22



If specific sounds activate your fight-or-flight response, or cause you to feel angry, anxious, or distressed, that don’t seem to bother other people, you’re not alone. 


Although it can be an isolating experience, as many as 1 in 20 people may have this lesser-known condition called misophonia. 


What is misophonia?


Misophonia literally translates to the hatred (“miso”) of sound (“phonia”), although this is an oversimplification. More specifically, misophonia is a neurophysiological condition where specific sounds (triggers) cause an intense emotional or fight-or-flight response. These triggers can be everyday sounds from other people or the environment, and are specific to each individual. Common triggers are mouth, nose, throat, or repetitive pattern-based sounds. Even reading about these sounds can be triggering for some people, so I’ve tried to minimize my description of them here. 


Similar to misophonia, and sometimes co-occurring, is misokinesia (hatred of movement), with repetitive visual triggers instead of auditory. Misophonia is distinct from hyperacusis (increased sensitivity/pain from sound in general) and phonophobia (fear of sounds), although these can overlap.


What is it like to experience misophonia?


A metaphor for experiencing misophonia would be like hearing nails on a chalkboard right by your ear, unexpectedly and repeatedly, on a daily basis - this could be in your home, at work, at school, at the movies, in a restaurant, at the mall, seemingly anywhere - but no one else can hear it, or if they do, it doesn’t seem to bother them. The sound alone can set you on edge, get your heart racing, and lead to feelings of agitation, anger, and even helplessness - you just want the sound to stop so you can have peace again, enjoy life, and go back to whatever you were focusing on. What can make this experience worse is the sound repeating with no apparent end, and other people invalidating your experience because they don’t understand why it bothers you. 


This sometimes torturous experience can lead to feelings of isolation, shame, anxiety, and depression, and can make daily living a struggle. This is why learning about misophonia to help people with it feel understood and supported is so important. 


How to cope with misophonia


Since research is still so new, there is currently no identified evidence-based treatment for misophonia. However, existing research and experience from people with misophonia, including researchers with misophonia themselves, shows that there are some things that can help:


  • Communication and boundaries: talk to the people in your life about misophonia so that they can be supportive, and use boundaries to protect yourself.

  • Accommodations: advocate for simple changes that could make living with misophonia easier, such as being allowed to wear earplugs or headphones at home, school, or work.

  • Emotion regulation: learn how to cope with the emotional response to triggers, such as mindfulness, visualization, or breathing exercises.

  • Self-care: taking care of your basic and sensory needs, including having a sensory safe space as a reprieve from triggers, can help to support your nervous system and window of tolerance.

  • Peer support: connect with people with shared experiences to feel less alone and share support.

  • Health professional support: talking to a family doctor, audiologist, and occupational therapist, can help to rule out other health issues like auditory processing issues.

  • Mental health counselling: preliminary research shows that some cognitive therapies have been helpful for coping with misophonia. Note that habituation-based exposure therapy is not recommended and may cause further harm. 


A misophonia-informed counsellor can provide an accommodating and supportive space to explore these coping strategies with you. 


I have several loved ones in my life with misophonia and am passionate about supporting people with this. If you’re looking for individual support with misophonia, we offer free 20 minute consultations to chat about what you’re looking for, how we can help, and answer any questions that you might have. 


Resources




References


Brout, J. (2022). A Clinician’s Guide to Misophonia: Managing Misophonia from a Self-Regulation Perspective. The International Misophonia Research Network. 


Brout, J., Rosenthal, Z., Edwards, C. (2024). Introduction to Misophonia for Multidisciplinary Clinicians [Online course]. soQuiet. https://courses.soquiet.org/courses/misophonia-for-clinicians 


Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation (n.d.). What is Misophonia? https://psychiatry.duke.edu/duke-center-misophonia-and-emotion-regulation/what-misophonia 


Ferrer-Torres, A., Giménez-Llort, L. (2022). Misophonia: A Systematic Review of Current and Future Trends in This Emerging Clinical Field. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 19(11) https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116790


Hayes-Raymond, S. (2024). Misophonia Matters: An Advocacy-Based Approach to Coping with Misophonia for Adults, Teens, and Clinicians. Misophonia International.


soQuiet (n.d.). Is there a cure for misophonia? https://www.soquiet.org/faq/cure-for-misophonia 


The International Misophonia Foundation (n.d.). What is Misophonia? https://misophoniafoundation.com/what-is-misophonia 

 
 
 

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