Written by Tiffany S.

Hello, my name is Tiffany and I have Misophonia, otherwise known as the phobia of sound. Me and my frenemy “Miso” go way back, all the way back to my childhood, to be exact. I know that a lot of people don’t know what it is so I’ll give you the basic rundown.

Misophonia is a neurological disorder, in which a person feels anxiety (sometimes even rage) in response to certain common sounds. It is also sometimes known as Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome. Some of these “trigger sounds” include coughing, sneezing, scratching, breathing, repetitive tapping of a pencil, music boxes, snoring….and a whole lot of others that can be classified as normal, everyday sounds.

While no one knows the exact cause of Misophonia, it is thought to be caused by a connection between the limbic & auditory systems, aka the part of the brain responsible for behavior/emotion & the parts responsible for hearing. As I mentioned above, I’ve had “Miso” since I was a little kid. The first triggers I can remember reacting to are music boxes, the sound of a ceiling fan & snoring. I seriously have to leave the room sometimes. It’s hard to explain the feeling that comes over me — my body wants to twitch and I get this panicked feeling like I have to get away. Things like dripping water or fingernail clacking will send me out of a room lickity split.

Sadly, at this point in medical history, there is not yet a cure since this is still considered a ‘new’ disorder. The most common way I deal with is it is to leave the room where the trigger is.  In cases that I can’t leave, I sometimes have to take panic attack medication to ease the tension. There are no proven coping strategies out there and, in reading up on it, I find that people deal with it in a wide array of ways.

I run into people who think I am ‘freaking out over a little problem’ but they don’t understand what it is that I’m going through. These noises will fill your mind until you cannot hear anything else; where all you can focus on is that noise. It’s a scary situation. I am grateful, however, to know what it is that is ‘wrong with me’. I feel better knowing that I can explain why I behave the way I do sometimes. For the most part, people have been very understanding.