Misophonia - what to do when you can't escape the noise!

Many people with Misophonia find very creative ways to avoid having to hear the sounds that trigger them, and often carefully structure their whole lives to ensure they aren’t exposed to the trigger.  But what happens when you are in a situation where you just cannot escape?   The stress involved in trying to control your external environment or avoid triggerig noises can be immense, so is there anything you can do if you are simply stuck with the noise?

It might be helpful to remember that when you feel the trigger emotion – whether that’s rage, anxiety, panic or disgust – your mind and body are preparing for "fight or flight". This is an ancient survival response designed to help you defend yourself or run away very quickly.  Your nervous system goes into this state fast, and you lose your sense of logic and ability to think calmly and clearly.   So, when you CANNOT fight the noise, control the noise or run away from it, you could use what you have within you, something you are able to control. 

The first port of call is your own breath, as simple as that sounds. Draw your attention to your breath, because it's always there.  The breath can be your greatest ally as it helps to shift your nervous system into the "rest and digest" state. This is the complete opposite to "fight or flight".  By taking long slow deep breaths, and making your exhale deeper than your inhale, you are fooling your brain into believing that there is no danger to you.  Breathwork can be very powerful and it may take some practice.  By focusing on your breath, you are giving your mind something different to focus on, something that you are able to control, especially if you are in a situation that you cannot do anything to change.  It ties in with accepting that there’s nothing you can do in this moment.  You cannot run away, you cannot scream obscenities, you just have to allow it to be. Set an intention to just keep on noticing your breathing, directing your attention back to it repeatedly.  When your body mimics the rest and digest state, it can feel very real to your mind. 

Your body is where you are most likely to feel the trigger emotion connected to the noise, and you will recognise those panicky, rage-filled sensations only too well. Use the breath to deepen into your whole body, feel the sensations of the air filling up your lungs, expanding, and slowly exhaling. See if you can notice gentle whispers of calm. Nobody even needs to know this is what you are doing. So, if you are sitting in a classroom or an exam hall and there are people sniffing, chewing or coughing. If you are at home and your neighbour's dog is barking. If you are on a train, plane or theatre and someone is eating noisily. I always remind my clients that "control" is the underlying feature of Misophonia that makes it so painful and distressing - when there is a lack of choice available to you, your nervous system ramps up the alert system. You do have a choice when you can't escape the noise, it may seem hard at first but keep persevering. You get more of what you focus on.

If this was helpful, you might like to sign up to my website for a free guided hypnosis by clicking on this link:

Work with me/contact