MISOPHONIA

it is a condition where one or more familiar noises, like the ticking of a clock, the hum of a fluorescent lamp, or the chewing or breathing of another person, produce an unusual emotional reaction in the person who is affected when they hear the sound, such as disgust, discomfort, panic, or fury.

CAUSES

Although the exact etiology of misophonia is still unknown, many people claim that hearing family members eat when they were children caused them to develop an excellent distaste for sound. This lends credence to the idea that misophonia might create as a result of repeated environmental conditioning. Another hypothesis explains why both auditory and visual stimuli might cause unpleasant reactions by positing that misophonia is a component of a general hyperreactivity syndrome to sensory stimuli. Patients with misophonia were shown to have aberrant neuronal activity in the auditory cortex's automatic auditory processing system, which may be the cause of their symptoms, according to electroencephalography (EEG) research. Finally, it is hypothesized that misophonia and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) are related because OCPD sufferers may find it difficult to deal with rude eating noises, which may lead to avoidance.

Brain regions, including the right insula, right anterior cingulate cortex, and right superior temporal cortex, are known to be active during misophonia. Assigning meaning to environmental cues is the responsibility of the insula and anterior cingulate cortex. Certain auditory stimuli might make misophonia sufferers feel as though they are being harassed, which can make them angry. The superior temporal cortex is crucial for absorbing emotionally charged sounds and plays a part in selective auditory attention. Audiovisual stimuli in misophonia patients elicit rage, disgust, melancholy, and physiological arousal, including stimulating these particular brain areas.

Signs and symptoms of misophonia

When exposed to misophonic stimuli, such as someone chewing noisily, smacking their lips, or breathing loudly, a person with misophonia will immediately experience an adverse bodily reaction, such as annoyance, disgust, rage, and lack of self-control. Physiological changes such as a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature occur in conjunction with emotional responses. Misophonia patients have reportedly used abusive language or physical force toward things and other people. Usually, the intensity of the rage causes a sense of losing one's composure. People are usually perceptive and may see that their rage is excessive and irrational. It is noteworthy that anxiety is not a reaction to stimuli. Active avoidance of misophonic stimuli, such as avoiding social gatherings or donning noise-canceling headphones, are further warning indicators. In anticipation of an unplanned meeting with misophonic stimuli, individuals could feel stressed out and uncomfortable every day. Misophonia can strike anybody who is born with a gender identity, however, the symptoms usually appear in late childhood or the beginning of adolescence.

How is misophonia treated?

Although there is no known treatment for misophonia, it can be controlled by a variety of coping mechanisms, such as white noise, relaxing music, or other distractions when exposed to misophonic stimuli. Additionally, people might consider using headphones with noise cancellation or requesting that the other person cease generating the noises. On a bus, at a restaurant, or in a public place, one might make an effort to physically go away from the trigger noises. Additionally, people might consider using headphones with noise cancellation or requesting that the other person cease generating the noises.