Misophonia is a dramatically disruptive and little-understood condition that can pose dramatic challenges to relationships. For people with misophonia, common sounds like chewing, sniffing, and tapping can trigger a full-court press of the body’s nonconscious defense response.

Although misophonia is most often associated with sound, many people are also triggered by sights that may or may not be associated with sound. For example, some people might be triggered by just the sight of chewing, without the sound, or by a sight that doesn’t have a distinct sound, like hair-twirling.

Sound confusing? It is—and there’s more.

A body’s defense response is not limited to nonconscious processes. Thoughts of flight or fight often accompany the physiological upset. The false dichotomy between mind and body falls away during a misophonic reaction. Both scream the same message: Get me out of here! Make this stop!

Unfortunately, triggers tend to emerge from within the ordinary. People are most often triggered by sights and sounds of the people they know best or see most: family members, schoolmates, or work colleagues they sit by every day. Here is a world where brother and sister may be unable to speak, a new relationship crumbles because of coughing, or a child is afraid to be in the physical presence of a parent.

These cruel separations are a recognized truth within the misophonia community and a source of great anguish. Triggered, a sufferer never wants to hear that sound again and will strongly resist, or refuse, any and all circumstances where this could happen. Unique to misophonia, these particular dynamics of upset and avoidance can create painful rifts between family members and frequent chaos for all.

When our family was new to misophonia, these dynamics and their uncertain origin were almost unbearable. Why was this happening to my relationship with my son? What can I do to stop this? Anxiety structured my day-to-day life: why and what to do? These questions became pillars of existence.

Families with misophonia have an urgent need for help because of the condition's terrible day-to-day impact.........

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