Does my child have Misophonia?

Have you ever noticed that your child has become very sensitive to certain sounds? Typically, these sounds might include chewing, breathing, tapping, coughing or throat-clearing (amongst others). These sounds might come from you or other members of your family. You may be growing more concerned that the reaction from your child toward these sounds is becoming more extreme, and they often have to leave the room very suddenly. Anger is a common reaction, as well as extreme anxiety or even disgust.

You are not alone - many parents/care-givers whose children I help tell me that they had no idea what was happening to their child or why. Many have never heard of "misophonia", let alone understand what it is or how it develops. Misophonia is a relatively common condition that is believed to affect around 20% of the population to varying degrees and it typically starts in childhood. The main symptom is a strong aversion to the sounds I mentioned above, often leading to the child refusing to eat at the dining table with family members, or sit together in the same space for example to watch a movie. Children with Misophonia often spend a lot of time alone in their homes, or need to wear earphones to block sound out. Some children get triggered by sudden or rapid movements too. Misophonia is not the same as general sound sensitivity or annoyance (which many of us are at times). It's the extreme emotional reaction to the sound and the often devastating effect it can have on the child's wellbeing - especially as a result of shutting themselves away from their loved ones.

You may indeed have noticed your relationship with your child becoming increasingly strained. You may feel you lack the closeness you once had. You may wonder what is wrong with them or whether it is your fault. You may feel a lot of guilt, even if you can't figure out what you may have done or failed to do. The truth is, Misophonia is nobody's fault. It is not your fault and neither is it your child's. There is still so little that is understood about this frustrating condition, and research continues. Some researchers believe it's linked to general anxiety, OCD or trauma, others believe it's neurological and possibly inherited. There does seem to be a link with neurodivergence, for example ADHD or autism. The link is not fully understood, it's just that Misophonia may show up more commonly in children who are neurodivergent.

As a Clinical Hypnotherapist who specialises in working with Misophonia, my position is that regardless of the root cause, your child's nervous system has somehow learned to respond to those sounds as if they were a "threat" - even if logically this makes no sense. The work I do is very much focused on nervous system regulation, removing the emotional intensity of the trigger sound and enabling the child to feel more comfortable in situations that might otherwise have upset or triggered them. Children often don't understand what is happening to them, leading to feelings of shame and guilt. They can see that their behaviour is upsetting you, or possibly causing conflict and they feel powerless to do anything about it.

This is why the first step is always creating a safe space for your child to begin to understand themselves a bit more - and that Misophonia is not their fault. I help them to focus on their strengths, skills and emotional wellbeing. I use fun and creative ways to encourage them to think about themselves differently, gently helping them to focus more on hope for the future, and to calm their nervous system in the event of feeling triggered.

I have written a Q and A section here, which includes how I work with children. If you would like to discuss your child with me, please consider booking a call, here