Misophonia - What is it and how is it treated?

Have you ever felt a surge of anxiety, irritation, or even rage when you hear someone chewing, tapping a pen, or breathing too loudly? If so, you’re not alone—and you’re not imagining things. You may be experiencing symptoms of misophonia, a condition that causes strong emotional reactions to specific sounds.

While misophonia isn’t officially recognized in the DSM-5 or ICD-10, mental health professionals and researchers are increasingly acknowledging its real impact on daily life. If you’re struggling with sound sensitivity alongside anxiety or depression, there are compassionate, effective strategies that can help.

What Is Misophonia?

Misophonia literally means “hatred of sound,” but the experience is more complex than that. People with misophonia have intense emotional and physical reactions to specific trigger sounds—like chewing, sniffing, clicking, or repetitive tapping. These responses are involuntary and often feel overwhelming. For some, even the anticipation of hearing the sound can trigger anxiety or distress.

It’s currently believed that misophonia may stem from a dysfunction in the central auditory system—the part of the brain that processes sound and links it to emotional responses. While more research is needed, it’s clear that for many people, misophonia is deeply disruptive and emotionally exhausting.

How Misophonia Affects Mental Health

Because misophonia often activates the body’s fight-or-flight response, it’s commonly associated with anxiety symptoms like:

• Racing heart

• Muscle tension

• Sweating

• Shallow breathing

• Feeling on edge or angry

Over time, this can take a toll on your mental health, especially if the sound triggers are frequent or unavoidable - such as during meals, at work, or in public spaces. Many people report that misophonia leads to social withdrawal, chronic stress, and symptoms of depression, like hopelessness or fatigue.

That’s why a holistic misophonia treatment approach is essential—one that addresses both the physiological triggers and the emotional toll.

Misophonia Treatment: What Works?

While there’s no one-size-fits-all cure for misophonia, there are several evidence-informed strategies that have helped individuals reduce their symptoms and reclaim a sense of calm and control.

1. Identify and Minimize Triggers

The first step in misophonia treatment is awareness. With support from a therapist, you can begin to map out your specific sound triggers and develop practical ways to manage your environment. This might include:

• Using noise-canceling headphones or white noise

• Creating “safe spaces” at home or work

• Communicating needs to loved ones with clarity and compassion

2. Learn to Activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System

Misophonia triggers often activate the sympathetic nervous system—your body’s stress response. Learning tools to activate the parasympathetic (calming) system can help you regulate your emotions more effectively. Some helpful techniques include:

• Deep breathing or breathwork

• Grounding and mindfulness exercises

• Gentle movement (like walking, stretching, or yoga)

• Biofeedback or neurofeedback therapy to help the brain learn new response patterns

3. Exposure-Based Therapy

While it might sound counterintuitive, gradual exposure to trigger sounds in a safe and controlled environment can reduce sensitivity over time. Working with a therapist trained in exposure therapy or CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), you can begin to retrain your brain’s response to triggering stimuli and build greater resilience.

This doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly “like” the sound—but it does mean it can become more manageable.

Living Well with Misophonia

At Brain Body Wellness Counseling in Arizona, we believe that healing from conditions like misophonia requires a whole-person approach. Our therapists combine the best of mental health counseling, biofeedback, and nervous system regulation techniques to support clients in managing anxiety, depression, and sensory overwhelm.

We recognize how exhausting and isolating misophonia can be—but you don’t have to manage it alone. With the right tools and support, it’s absolutely possible to:

• Feel more calm and in control

• Improve focus and reduce irritability

• Rebuild confidence in social situations

• Live a life that isn’t ruled by sound triggers

A Note About Research

Because misophonia is not yet a formal diagnosis in major medical or mental health manuals, research on misophonia treatment is still growing. However, many therapeutic strategies used to treat anxiety-related disorders show promise in helping individuals with sound sensitivity find relief and healing.

Ready to Take the Next Step?If you’re looking for misophonia treatment in Arizona, we’re here to help. Reach out to Brain Body Wellness to schedule a free consultation and learn how our holistic counseling services can support your journey.

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References:

• Jastreboff, M.M. & Jastreboff, P.J. (2001). Components of decreased sound tolerance: Hyperacusis, misophonia, phonophobia. Ithaca College Research Archive.

• Dozier, T.H. (2015). Treating misophonia with counterconditioning: A case study. Clinical Case Studies, 14(5), 374–387.