Misophonia
Misophonia (mi-suh-FOE-nee-uh) is a disorder of decreased sound tolerance to specific sounds or stimuli associated with such sounds, accompanied by an abnormal strong negative emotional reaction to the offending sounds or stimuli (Read: Consensus Definition of Misophonia: A Delphi Study, 2022). This unusual condition often arises between the ages of seven and 12 and can occur in both females and males. The most common “trigger” sounds are soft, repetitive mouth and nasal sounds, often created by humans and animals. Misophonia is a devastating condition that not only affects the individual living with the disorder—it also has widespread negative impacts on the individual’s family and friends and distressing effects on social-emotional well-being. Misophonia can also coincide with or exacerbate underlying anxiety and depression disorders.
While there is currently no gold standard cure for misophonia, we will work with those suffering from misophonia and their family members to customize the most optimal treatment plan to help lessen the negative impact of the disorder. As a specialist in hearing health care, Dr. Novick offers small and discreet ear-level sound generators aimed at providing individuals with soothing and pleasing sounds streamed into their ears to effectively reduce the intensity of the soft trigger noises within their environment. These ear-level sound generators can provide soothing and calming sounds such as white noise, pink noise or environmentally pleasing sounds like rain or shower noise. Since these devices are small, discreet and nearly invisible in comparison to over-the-ear headphones or earbuds, they are ideal for school and workplace environments.
In order to achieve the best outcome in managing misophonia, a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals is strongly encouraged. Mental health providers and occupational therapists are instrumental in working with those struggling with misophonia.1 Please also check out the upcoming 2023 Misophonia Association Conference, set to take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 2–4, 2023. Options to attend live in person or virtually are available. Registration Link.
M. Zachary Rosental, et al (April 2023), Treatment of Misophonia in Advances in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health.
