Do you completely lose the ability to concentrate when someone close to you chews with their mouth open? Or do you get unjustifiably annoyed when the person next to you is breathing heavily? Then you may have misophonia, writes the BBC.
Misophonia is a disorder in which certain sounds trigger emotional or physiological responses that some might perceive as unreasonable, given the circumstance. It could be anything, from someone chewing on a cracker to the sound of windshield wipers. Irritation, frustration, or even anxiety are typical reactions for someone with misophonia.
Hard to control their emotions
When people suffering from this disorder, which also goes by the name of Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome, hear a trigger sound, adrenaline rushes through their bodies. Body tension, shaking, and rapid breathing are common reactions.
It is challenging to control these feelings of discomfort. It can, in some extreme cases, potentially cripple the social life of people living with misophonia.
20% of the population affected
According to the BBC, up to 20% of the population may suffer from misophonia, claims a study. But where does it come from?
People with the disorder have a disruption in the connectivity in the parts of the brain that process both sound stimulation and the fight/flight response, which becomes apparent when triggered by annoying sounds.
There’s no certified cure for misophonia yet, but cognitive behavioral therapy has proven successful in some cases.
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