Misophonia, the reason why you hate a certain sound & bull; hello healthy

You are eating together and the sound of people chewing makes you feel uncomfortable, even annoyed? It could be that you are experiencing a condition called misophonia. Misophonia comes from Greek, miso means hate and phon means sound, so if it is interpreted literally, misophonia means hate to sound.

Misophonia is a condition in which a person reacts to a specific sound and causes an automatic response (fight or flight response). These sounds usually come from other people's habits such as chewing, tongue clicking, whistling, and so on. But those with misophonia are usually not bothered by these sounds if they create the sound themselves.

Why does misophonia occur?

Psychological conditions that can last a lifetime, such as misophonia, for example, start from the ages of 9 to 13 years. There is no special underlying event, misophonia can happen suddenly and just like that. Until now, there is no explanation that can reveal the exact cause why a person can suffer from misophonia. Several studies related to misophonia have been conducted. Jastreboff, a professor in audiology and the first person to come up with the concept of misophonia, states that there are similarities between misophonia and tinnitus. Both are associated with the excessive connection that occurs between the auditory system and the limbic system, causing an overreaction to certain sounds.

Quoted from the Washington Post, Natan Bauman, owner of the Connecticut Healing, Balance, and Speech Center stated that nearly 100 people have visited his clinic related to misophonia. Patients with misophonia usually have negative associations with certain types of sounds and tend to have an impulsive reaction to these sounds.

Sound waves cause the bones in the middle of our ear to vibrate, the ear will then convert the sound into electrical signals that will be sent to the auditory nerves in the brain. After that the signal will travel through two paths, to the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex. The path to the amygdala is fast, for example, when you suddenly hear a loud noise and you jump in in surprise. The other lines take longer. Part medial prefrontal cortex contributes more to your emotions and your interpretation of a sound. In those with misophonia, there is a possibility of damage to the medial prefrontal cortex .

A sound that is a trigger for people with misophonia

• The sound of a person eating or chewing
• The sound of clicking the tongue
• The sound of someone playing a pen (pen clicking sound)
• Clock ticking sound
• Low frequency sound
• Sound of footsteps
• Whistling sound
• The sound coming from the plastic bag being squeezed
• Dog barking sound

The reaction of people with misophonia when they hear certain sounds

Based on research conducted on misophonia, there are several emotional reactions that result after people with misophonia hear sounds they don't like. Generally they will experience feelings:

• Uncomfortable
• Stress and nervous
• Angry, frustrated
• Afraid
• Feeling annoyed and very annoyed
• Panic
• Being impatient
• Feeling depressed and stuck in a bad situation

In this study, sufferers of misophonia were also asked what they thought when the sound that triggered the discomfort appeared, some answered that sometimes they wanted to hit the person who made a sound they didn't like, why that person had to make a sound like that and why not immediately. stop, not infrequently they also wonder to themselves why they should be bothered by the sound. In more severe cases, reactions may include the desire to kill the source of the sound and possibly even the desire to commit suicide.

The impact

For those with misophonia, being in a crowd can cause discomfort due to the possibility of hearing a sound they don't like. People with misophonia may avoid eating together or eating separately from their family and relatives and isolate themselves and not want to be involved in any social events. If left unchecked this can cause misophonia sufferers to experience depression. More severe effects can also occur, for example attacking someone who makes a sound that makes them uncomfortable.

Misophonia treatment

There is no specific treatment that can really cure misophonia, but several types of therapy can help reduce the symptoms of misophonia. Some clinics offer sound therapy combined with counseling by a psychologist. Some people who suffer from misophonia choose to use earplugs or listen to music using them earphones if they have to be in a crowd that might make a sound they don't like.