Most of us could mention sounds that bother us especially and sometimes they even alter our inner peace. However there are people in whom those sounds can cause a deep anxiety and even trigger aggressive behaviors . When those sounds that are not tolerated are produced by other people's bodies the psychological reaction they bring is called Myphony . It may be sounds produced by the mouth when slurping, drinking or chewing or by the use of some objects. Join us to learn more about the misofonía, when the corporal sounds are intolerable.
Misofonía, when the corporal sounds are intolerable
The term Misofonía was coined by two American otorrinos in the year 2000. With him they wanted to designate what seemed a psychiatric personality disorder of an obsessive-compulsive nature that went together with the production of sounds with the body, always coming from another human being or in some cases also from a pet. Psychiatry has not yet recognized the term officially in its classifications as a psychiatric disorder, since it is of recent appearance.
In addition to the misophony there are other disorders related to sounds such as hyperacusis and phonophobia in which we will also investigate.
The misophony
Psychiatrists who are studying this disorder think that it may be caused by "Negative experiences associated with specific sounds" . Unlike the hyperacusis that produces pain in the face of everyday sounds, the misophony only emerges before very specific sounds. In the Current Biology magazine published an article in which it was demonstrated that the triggering sounds provoke in the misophonia physiological reactions such as an increase in heart rate or sweating.
The person suffering from misophonia has a negative emotional response when he hears certain sounds and this can be mild or severe. When it is mild, it usually produces only discomfort or mild irritation, but if it is severe it causes rabies and even panic attacks that can lead to a fight or flight. The misofonía produces in the person who suffers an impediment to have fluid interpersonal relationships and greatly limits social activity. Patients know that these sounds do not bother other people, but they can not do anything to avoid their reaction. The option they adopt most often is to get away from everything that produces the sound that triggers the misophony in them or masks it with music. If the case is serious, it is advisable to go to the specialist to start some type of therapy since it can become a great impediment to coexistence.
Here is a list of the most common misophonia triggers:
- Sounds related to mouth and food: chewing gum, biting ice, slurping, belching, chewing, kissing noises, swallowing, snapping tongue, teeth grinding, throat clearing, and many more.
- Sounds related to breathing and nose: grunts, moans, a strong or too soft breath, snorting, snoring, sneezing, coughing, snorting, congested breathing, hiccups, yawning, whistling and whistling produced by the nose, etc.
- Sounds of the usual environment: the clicks of the messages, the sounds of a keyboard, the ticking of a clock, the hammer of a pen, ripping paper, etc.
- Sounds of packaging: wrinkle a bag or squeeze a plastic water bottle or any food container.
- Automobiles: sound of idling, of the turn signals, keys that hit the steering column, ...
- Sounds of objects and utensils: hitting the plates with each other or with the cutlery, the coins that clash in the pockets, the chancleteo, the run-run of the air conditioning, etc.
- Sounds of animals: crickets, barks, frogs, cats licking something, dogs scratching and many more related to pets.
The misofonía, in addition, can be unchained not only by sounds, but sometimes has visual triggers.
The misophony according to its severity It is classified on a scale from 0 to 10 according to the symptoms it produces. In the zero is the person who recognizes the sound, but does not cause any discomfort and in the 10 those who provoke such violence that leads them to use physical aggression against the one who causes it, be it a person or an animal and in some cases against himself.
Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis , also called algiacusia, is a syndrome that produces pain in the hearing of everyday sounds. In some cases the most common sounds or sounds become intolerable and prevent the patient from leading their life normally. The treatment in these cases consists of slowly getting used to ear , starting with a practically inaudible volume, to those sounds that cause pain.
The phonophobia
The phonophobia , also known as ligirophobia, is an irrational fear of loud noises and sounds. It has nothing to do with an auditory disorder. The intensity of sound causes in people who suffer from anxiety attacks. They feel great fear of all kinds of devices that emit sudden loud sounds such as alarms or sirens.
Had you heard about the misophony ? Do you know anyone who has it? Share your experience with us!