Misophonia is a mental condition that’s fairly rare but it’s certainly more common than it seems, given how few people are aware of it. Misophonia literally means hatred of sound, which is a pretty fitting title given the way that it makes those who suffer from it feel. It’s a little different for everyone and it’s still a new discovery. There’s still a lot to learn about this disorder, it varies from case to case but there are a few key elements that are shared between those who suffer from it. Four out of five of those cases are caused by stimuli that are related to the mouth (chewing, swallowing, yawning, crunching, etc.) and there are often visual stimuli involved as well. Hearing and/or seeing these actions causes intense emotional reactions.

The most common triggers are sounds related to eating and drinking. If someone’s eating chips in class, if someone’s swallowing too strongly when they’re just drinking water, crunching ice, doing little things that that have no rational reason to upset a person are overwhelming for someone with misophonia. It’s totally not something that can be controlled, either. Symptoms can include anything from anxiety or rage to panic to much more severe like panic and hatred and emotional distress, even violent or suicidal thoughts.

For someone who’s suffering this it’s really important that they find out that it’s an actual mental disorder that’s still being researched and that it isn’t simply a flaw with them. There’s no cure at this point, nor will there necessarily ever be one. Although it can be managed in some circumstances. It also helps to regularly exercise, manage stress, and get sleep as regularly as possible. There still needs to be a lot more research done, but so far we can tell that it’s at least worsened by stress, so properly managing one’s life outside the disorder makes the disorder slightly easier to control. There are also internet support groups where those who suffer from it could share coping strategies. Some common ways to cope are wearing headphones or leaving the room when those are possible, although those will not always be options.

While there are not any clear ways to treat misophonia or solve this problem yet, this is one case where spreading awareness alone can actually make a difference. In many cases it would be quite possible for someone suffering from this to not understand why they feel how they do and it could be easy for them to blame themselves and think they’re doing something wrong or managing their emotions incorrectly, even thinking they could have something different, such as considering these adverse reactions to be mood swings. That can’t be further from the truth.

Misophonia isn’t the sufferer’s fault.

If you live with someone with misophonia, please try to be patient and know that it’s not their fault. It can be really frustrating and you’ll probably forget about it. Please try not to take it personally when they snap at you. They can be trying their best and have no control over the reaction at all and they’ll more than likely be hard on themselves over it anyway. They don’t hate you or blame you for eating, despite how it may feel for them sometimes. The best things you can do are to try to be patient and try to be considerate when you can.

If you suffer from this yourself, you’re not the only one. It’s terrible, it’s frustrating, things are going to affect you that most people don’t even think about. You’re not alone, we’re going to figure this thing out together. Just try to be strong and know that it’s not your fault.