One of the questions I’m frequently asked is, “How do visual triggers relate to misophonia?” While it’s an excellent question, the unfortunate truth is that we don’t yet have a definitive answer. In 2013, Arjan Schröder introduced the term "misokinesia" to describe visual triggers experienced by individuals with misophonia. This wasn’t intended to establish a separate disorder but rather to highlight a phenomenon that didn’t fit neatly into the existing understanding of misophonia (Schröder et al., 2013). More recent research by Davidenko et al. (2022) has also examined visual triggers, suggesting there may be overlapping mechanisms between auditory and visual sensitivities, though this area remains underexplored.

To start, it’s important to clarify that misokinesia, which translates to "hatred of movement," may oversimplify the issue. Current research doesn’t provide enough evidence to determine whether visual triggers represent a distinct phenomenon, an extension of misophonia, or a component of a broader sensory processing disorder. It’s also unclear whether most or only some individuals with misophonia experience visual triggers.

We simply don’t know yet if all people with misophonia also have misokinesia, or whether some individuals react exclusively to sounds while others react to both sounds and visuals. It’s plausible that these aversions exist on a spectrum, with variations in severity and type across cases. As of now, this is an open question that requires further research.

What I can confidently state is that many individuals in the misophonia community, including myself, report experiencing both visual and auditory triggers that provoke similar fight-flight-freeze responses. For those who do experience misokinesia, the physiological and emotional reactions can be just as intense as those caused by auditory triggers. Our autonomic nervous systems are activated, leading to feelings of discomfort, distress, and even pain.

The term "misophonia" itself can be misleading, as it implies a hatred of sounds (or visuals) when in reality, the response stems from the brain processing certain stimuli as threats. Nevertheless, this is the terminology adopted by both researchers and the public, so it remains the standard for now. It’s crucial to recognize that our understanding of these triggers—both auditory and visual—is still in its infancy, and many details remain to be clarified.

Personally, I find my visual triggers to be as challenging, if not more so, as my auditory ones. Unlike sounds, which can sometimes be blocked out with earplugs or noise-canceling headphones, visual stimuli are harder to avoid. Even closing my eyes doesn’t help, as the images often linger in my mind long after exposure. I’ve been driven to tears by certain visual triggers—legs shaking, people swaying, or fingers tapping—and even grammatical errors, such as double spacing after periods, have caused distress severe enough to make me block people from communication.

Dealing with both visual and auditory triggers has made daily life significantly more difficult. Visual triggers related to grammar, typing, lighting, and even holiday decorations can render activities like web browsing, gaming, and being near flashing Christmas lights almost impossible.

Here are some examples of my visual triggers:

Explaining visual triggers has been particularly difficult because even within the misophonia community, they aren’t widely discussed. This isn’t due to negligence but rather a lack of data—both scientific and anecdotal. Unlike sound triggers, visual triggers can’t be blocked with earplugs. While blindfolds might seem like an option, they’re hardly practical for daily life.

The key takeaway is that visual triggers are a real and distressing experience for many people with misophonia. Whether they share the same underlying mechanisms as auditory triggers is still an open question, and ongoing research, like that conducted by Schröder et al. (2013) and Davidenko et al. (2022), will be critical to untangling these complexities. Until then, it’s important to approach this topic with curiosity, empathy, and a willingness to learn as new information emerges.

This post also appears in Misophonia Matters: An Advocacy-Based Approach to Coping with Misophonia for Adults, Teens, and Clinicians but has been revised for Psychology Today.

References

Hayes-Raymond, S. (2024). Misophonia Matters: An Advocacy-Based Approach to Coping with Misophonia for Adults, Teens, and Clinicians. Misophonia International.

Schröder, A., Vulink, N., & Denys, D. (2013). Misophonia: Diagnostic criteria for a new psychiatric disorder. PLoS ONE.

Davidenko, N., Heller, M. A., & Stepp, C. E. (2022). Visual Triggers in Misophonia: Exploring Overlap with Auditory Triggers. Journal of Experimental Psychology.

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