1 In 5 People Have Misophonia
Common noises Make some people rage
If you’ve ever had an angry reaction to particular sounds such as sniffing, coughing or slurping, you are not alone and you may have misophonia!
According to the Cleveland Clinic, misophonia is defined as “a phenomenon that causes strong emotions and reactions to certain ‘trigger’ sounds.”
The experience of misophonia is more than just being annoyed by a sound. Misophonia can cause feelings of helplessness and feel trapped when people can’t get away from an unpleasant sound.
WHAT ARE COMMON MISOPHONIA TRIGGERS AND REACTIONS?
Common trigger sounds include noisily chewing food, the ticking of a clock, heavy breathing, tapping, clicking a pen, water dripping, rustling of paper or plastic and smacking lips.
Reactions can be along the lines of emotional feelings such as distress, anger or panic; body processes like an increased heartbeat; or behaviour actions such as glaring.
Suppose a person feels distressed when they hear normal breathing and swelling sounds. In that case, they might have the condition as these sounds don’t usually bother the majority of the population, according to the study.
It’s unknown what causes misophonia. However, according to the Cleveland Clinic, experts suspect it may be a combination of a few factors such as brain structure differences, family history, genetics or other conditions.
It was found that misophonia is equally common in men and women, and the average age of those with the condition is 43.
