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The Best Headphones For Misophonia

by Sensory Diversity December 12, 2017

written by Sensory Diversity

This is a list of headphones for misophonia, added to be sufferers of the disorder. This list will be updated regularly. These headphones are in no particular order, and feature the view of the submitter. Please do send in your own headphone review if you have a pair that you believe are amazing. Headphones and earbuds will be included on this page.

Lower End Headphones for Misophonia

Bluedio Wireless Headphones

Price Range: Low-Mid

Where To Buy: Amazon

I mentioned these headphones in my article, “The Tools I Use To Cope With Misophonia“, and while I am still on the market for new headphones, I still maintain that Bluedio are a great value for their lower-end price.

Here’s a confession. I’ve never found the perfect pair of headphones for my misophonia.

Actually, I’m not really sure one exists but I am always willing to find solutions. I’ve bought, sold, and gave away so many pairs. These ones are pretty good, though. They’re bluetooth compatible with most devices, wireless, and very easy to switch the song and volume by clicking buttons on the right earpiece.

By Post Author

Samsung Phone Earbuds

Price Range: Low

Where To Buy: Amazon

This suggestion comes from Rachel’s article, “Earplug & Headphone Suggestions by Rachel“. So far, the most comfortable, and noise canceling headphones I have come across, are ones that have the plastic cup buds. They are lightweight, and can even be slept in, if small enough. They can come with a mic, so if you are on your phone, you can still answer calls. They are usually sold at dollar stores, and I would recommend getting the cheaper ones. No matter how expensive it is, with the amount of times a Misophone has to use it, and the frustration that usually comes with having to, they are bound to break often.

By Rachel

Avantree 40 hr Wireless / Wired Bluetooth 4.0 Over-the-Ear Headphones

headphones for misophonia

Price Range: Low-Mid

Where To Buy: Amazon

For the lower to middle end of the price-range, I am rather impressed by these Avantree headphones. Firstly, they hold their charge quite well, despite only being charged now and then. Most importantly, they are comfortable, and the sound is not abrasive. While they do not have the same blocking coverage as the higher end Bose, they are certainly more reliable than the other cheap options on the list. An added bonus is that they are capable of both Bluetooth and Aux. Therefore, if you’re trapped without a bluetooth device, you can still quickly plug your headphones in. I’ve used these grocery shopping, and the range was so great that when I accidentally walked away from my mother who had the cart, I got coverage through half a store.

By Post Author

Sol-Republic Relays Sport Ear-buds

Price Range: Low

Where To Buy: Amazon

Great product. It works really well to block out sounds. They are frequently on sale, too. The sound quality is pretty good too. I give it 4/5 stars.

Submitted by Hayden

Sony NC-7 Noise Cancelling Headphones

Price Range: Low

*Where To Buy: Ebay (United States, Canada)
*These headphones may be hard to find, but they’re being added in the off-chance people can find second-hand or in-store.

It says on the package that these are “ideal for travel” and offer an “87.4% Ambient Noise Reduction.” It’s not perfect but it is better than a lot of so-called noise canceling headphones out there. These come with a sliding on/off button for times when you want or don’t want noise canceling. When I have the button on I cannot hear anything except what is playing through the headphones. What I like about the headphones besides the fact that they’re great on buses, trains and planes is that they are collapsible and not bulky like other headsets. They take one AAA battery and come with a plug adaptor to plug into a dual jack or stereo jack. Mine also came with a soft black carrying pouch for storage. You can also buy a hard case for these separately. The ear pads can make your ears sweaty in the summer, but can be replaced, and the headphones may stop working after continuous usage, but it usually takes years for that to happen unless you don’t take care of them. The headband may pinch your neck so take precautions. Sony discontinued this model several years ago but you can still get them on eBay or Amazon. I like sales so I try to get two pairs at once. These come in black but I believe I have seen then in white. They are pretty good at blocking out sounds like tapping and clicking and mute sharper sounds like gum popping provided you have white or pink noise playing.

Submitted by Shaye

AblePlanet Wired Headphones

able planet misophonia headphones

Price Range: Low

*Where To Buy: Ebay (United States, Canada)
*These headphones may be hard to find, but they’re being added in the off-chance people can find second-hand or in-store.

When I was Princess Auto (a Canadian retail chain specializing in farm, industrial, garage, hydraulics and surplus items), I found these headphones. On an impulse, I bought them. I had no headphones with me, and I wanted the car ride to be more favourable. I didn’t have high hopes for them, but they’re surprisingly sound resistant. Like the Sony headphones above, these are no longer stocked in stores, but you can find them on Ebay. I find these headphones rather comfortable (almost all headphones hurt my ears) and have lasted me a few years of regular use. They also have a dial on them where I can easily adjust the volume.

By Post Author

Higher End Headphones for Misophonia

Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones

Price Range: High

Where To Buy: Amazon

Beats Studio3 are the closest I get to a safe place. For various issues, TV is the one thing that relaxes me but, unfortunately, we have ridiculously loud neighbors and very thin walls. I found a wireless transmitter that allows me to hear the TV through my headphones, blocking out the world around me. Additionally, if I want to read a book, the headphones connect to my meditation app on my phone that provides the sounds of rain or the ocean to make the distractions disappear. The headphones are very comfortable and hold a good charge for hours. I did have to replace my first pair after about a year, but that could have been a fluke. Overall, pricey but worth it for the sound security.

Submitted by Sara

Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Headphones

Price Range: Mid-High

Where To Buy: Amazon

I have several fancy/expensive sets of headphones, but these are by far my favorite! The Bose 35’s (my 2nd favorite) are too big for my head and flop around if I have to lean forward or bend over, but these Skullcandy Crusher Wireless headphones fit perfectly. They aren’t as noise cancelling as Bose, but that’s better for me in social situations because I can hear normal conversation without hearing background trigger noises. I also like that I don’t have to download an app to make these work, they connect to my phone with Bluetooth automatically. These headphones are durable and fold up small enough to easily fit in my purse. I like that they are wireless because I don’t have to worry about the cord getting tangled or caught. They do have a place for a cord if you prefer having a cord. Sometimes I use the cord to connect to machines at the gym.

Submitted By Amanda

Bose Quiet Comfort 35 Noise Canceling Headphones

Price Range: High

Where To Buy: Amazon

The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 (II) are kind of heavy, especially if you are used to earbuds. The style is around-the-ear. I use them because I think they are very good at noise canceling.

They also reproduce music well, and are not bass-heavy like beats, which I don’t like. I find that I can wear them for hours, while earbuds irritate me in less than an hour. I wear them everywhere, around my neck. I don’t care if I look nerdy. Being able to wear them when someone triggers me makes it worth it. My wireless range is about 20 feet. I recharge every night. The earphones still say 100 percent charged even if not used for a few days.

Submitted by Sondheim

Bose QuietComfort 25 (QC 25)

Price Range: High

Where To Buy: Amazon

I love the Bose QC25s. They are very very similar to the 35’s, the newest model from Bose, however their are slight differences. One being, the 25’s have replaceable batteries, whereas the 35’s have an internal irreplaceable single battery that needs to be charged for the noise cancelling to work. These batteries in the 35’s last slightly more than 10 hours or so which suits most people and is great for the office and travelling to and from work. However, for extended use; i.e. on a plane trip from Sydney to Los Angeles, which is > 20 hours; this simply will not do. And is why for me at least, the QC 25’s reign supreme. Another difference, is the 35’s have built in BlueTooth, where as the 25’s don’t. There are third party bluetooth adapters for the 25’s if you need it that badly, and still require > 10 hours of battery use at a time. Otherwise; this would be the only downside I see to the 25’s. Is having to have the cord in your way, especially when working at a crowded desk.

Submitted by Rowan

Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Earbuds

Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones misophonia

Price Range: High

Where To Buy: Amazon

The Bose QuietComfort 20 earbuds are sound cancelling and they simply block out almost everything. Especially if you are watching tv or playing music through them. But even just with noise cancelling turned on they are incredible! They are very snug and come with 3 different size buds. I try not to sleep with them in so I don’t break the wires. But the few times I have slept with them in they don’t hurt too much, maybe only a little, but if it assists with aiding misophonia I can deal with a little uncomfortable-ness. They have an expensive price tag, but as a sufferer, truly believe they are worth it

Submitted by Camilla

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro.

Price Range: High

Where To Buy: Amazon

I liked these headphones so much at work, I wound up getting a second pair for home. Insulation is very good even if you’re not playing any sound. If you play music, it sounds great.

Pay attention to the Ohm rating and make sure it’s the right one for how you’re going to use them. I use 32 Ohm for just plugging into my computer.

I would encourage anyone to read about the different types of headphones, especially the difference between “noise-cancelling” and “noise-isolating.” I find the latter to be far better for misophonia mitigation purposes.

Submitted by Dean

Rowkin Bit Charge Wireless Earbuds

Price Range: Mid-High

Where To Buy: Amazon

If you need discreet headphones, these tiny wireless headphones are amazing! In situations that require cover up noise, but not socially appropriate to wear headphones, these barely noticeable ear pieces are the next best thing to hearing aid sound generators that cost a lot of money. Unfortunately the battery only lasts about 2 hours, but they recharge quickly and the carry case is the charger. The carry case charger doubles as a backup phone battery, and can recharge the headphones or a phone 2-3 times before needing to be plugged in to fully recharge. I seriously love these tiny in ear headphones for work situations when I can’t use my favorite over the ear headphones. They cover sounds extremely well, so well that I usually only use one ear at a time.

Submitted By Amanda

I’d like to thank all the people willing to share their headphones with us, and generous enough to submit!

Some other awesome options:

December 12, 2017 0 comments

Coping

Natural Misophonia Remedies

by Sensory Diversity April 18, 2017

written by Sensory Diversity

While there is no treatment of misophonia, persons with the disorder may wish to use natural misophonia remedies to help deal with day to day stress and to help cope with the disorder. While there is no blanket cure, the sensory system is complex, and could benefit from life changes. Even if your sensory system or misophonia cannot be helped initially by these actions, having an overall improved state of health can help persons to have a decreased threat drive, and respond to triggers with less intensity.

“While there is no treatment of misophonia, persons with the disorder may wish to use natural misophonia remedies to help deal with day to day stress and to help cope with the disorder.”

Of course, this will not be the same for any one, but the following methods could be beneficial.

Healthy eating

I personally eat organic and non GMO foods. While science does not entirely discredit GMOs I personally believe that since our sensory diets are so taxed, it is important to have a nutritious diet that is free from outside chemicals. From personal experience any food that has been processed or has chemical components will make my triggers worse. Perhaps this can be attributed to the nutritional loss that the foods have taken and the over-all decrease in health. In the future, a sensory study focused on nutrition could be beneficial to answer specific questions about diet and brain behaviour.

Sensory Diet

A sensory diet is a mix of calming, organizing and energizing activities that are developed by Occupational Therapists to help with sensory disorders. These may be helpful for regulation of misophonia and auditory over-responsivity.
Sample Sensory Diet for Adults and Teens

Drink Water

If your body is not well-equip to handle basic functioning it serves that it will be unable to better handle threats. The brain cannot function without water. It is essential that persons should be drinking enough water to help through the day. Most persons should drink roughly half of their weight in lbs in fluid oz.

Avoid Chemicals

Since switching to beauty products that have no chemicals I have felt better. “Scent” allergies and other allergies may be caused from the body overloading to olfactory (scent) triggers. As well, many of these chemicals can be harmful to general health. Aluminium, parabens, and other harmful products can be found in many conventional household items. While organic and chemical-free may sound scary at first, sites like Wellness Mama can be helpful when it comes to finding cheap, homemade solutions. There is also a growing market for these products, and as this happens, products become cheaper.

Swimming

Swimming is a great activity for sensory regulation. It is helpful both to relax and it provides proprioceptive pressure that has been known to help regulate the sensory system.

Walking In Nature or Outside

Getting away from the noises may seem like a “Duh” answer but it is more than just escaping the noises. Sensory information is accumulative and it is important to ensure that your system is periodically “reset”. If you are at work, perhaps taking a walk outside on your lunch break.

Find Some Alone Time

Since sensory information is accumulative it is important to reset your system even if you cannot go outside. Even if you have to take a few minutes to yourself in the restroom this can be beneficial for bringing your system back to a calm state and may make it easier to go back into the situation and handle the triggers. This may not work for every one, but it can be helpful for activities that you cannot skip.

Do you have natural misophonia remedies or techniques that help you cope? Please leave a comment below, and we’ll update the page with ideas!

April 18, 2017 0 comments

Singing Misophonia Away

by Sensory Diversity March 8, 2017

written by Sensory Diversity

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved singing. I would sing in the shower, sing in public, and sing at church. I joined a choir when I was still in elementary and remained a part of that choir up until I graduated from 8th grade. I sang in a choir in high school up until I graduated. Now that I’m in college, I am part of a youth choir that sings at different churches.

Singing has always been a part of my life. When I first started experiencing misophonia, I wondered how this would affect my singing. It didn’t. Not at first. I was okay to sing in groups and do a solo every so often with one ear plug in.

As I got older, triggers got worse, and words got lost because all I could hear was the trigger. It scared me. I didn’t think I’d be able to continue singing because the noises around me angered me so much. I almost quit singing. I had to wear headphones while I sang so I wouldn’t get triggered. I didn’t know if I was being too loud or too soft. I had to look at people’s lips to know if I was singing on beat, something I never used to have trouble doing until I started wearing headphones. The thing I loved best, I almost quit because misophonia just made it so much harder.

Fortunately, I couldn’t just stop singing. It would hurt too much. I sang when people bullied me and it made me want to disappear. I sang when I was happy, sad, or angry about something. I sang when I was in love.

I sing because it takes away the pain. I sing certain songs just lift my spirits. Other songs speak to me when I’m in a horrible mood, and then that mood just gradually goes away after I sing them. Sometimes, the person singing the song triggers me, which is frustrating. If that happens, I find a karaoke version of the song and sing it.

Singing a particular song after I get triggered helps me calm down. It’s called Gasoline, by Halsey. For those who don’t like to hear or read bad words, there’s at least two mentions of the “F” word in that song. But the reason I sing (and listen to) the song is for these two phrases: “Are you insane like me? Been in pain like me?” Another one of my favorite phrases in the song is “Do you tear yourself apart to entertain like me?” I can relate, because it feels like I try so hard to “entertain” people by being friendly and holding back my triggers (“Been in pain like me?”). They wouldn’t understand how much pain I’m in because normal, everyday sounds don’t anger people to the point that it can be called disabling.

Misophonia makes me feel insane. But after listening to and singing this particular song a few times, it just makes me feel better. It’s like I’m talking to the “normal” people about misophonia, only I’m doing so inside my head.

When I sing, misophonia is just gone. I’m in my own little world, singing to my heart’s content. Singing misophonia away.

March 8, 2017 0 comments

Coping Helpful Info

College and Misophonia: A Few Survival Tips

by Sensory Diversity January 16, 2017

written by Sensory Diversity

This is my third year as a college student at San Diego State University. Throughout the past years, I found myself dreading walking into a class, wondering if my professor’s “s” sounds would trigger me. Because “s” sounds are my worst trigger, if my professor did trigger me, it was difficult to pay attention. I decided to compile a list of things I do when preparing to walk in to class for the first time, as well as throughout the school year.
As a reminder, these are things I find that help me in school. If you’re a student and think they don’t help you, that’s ok. Misophonia is a complex condition. Not everything one person does to cope will help someone else. I advise you to analyze your misophonia and find healthy coping mechanisms.
• Get to class 20 or 30 minutes early. I have found that getting to class before other people do helps me to mentally prepare. But most importantly, I am able to scout out a seat I think will be farthest away from the professor. Usually a far left or far right corner seat, in the back of the room, is the best spot for me.
• Bring headphones and earplugs. People in classrooms can get pretty noisy. For instance, if there’s no food policy (“no food allowed”) enforced by the professor, people may bring snacks and drinks to eat during class. I block these people out by using headphones and earplugs. The main reason for bringing them, however, is to block out the professor. Again, this is because most of my professors tend to trigger me with their “s” sounds, which is extremely frustrating. So, to avoid getting triggered and leaving the class, I put in my earplugs and headphones and play a soothing sounds from an phone app.
• Go over class material on your own time. I say this because, if you were to follow my advice and block out your professor’s triggers, you might not catch everything he or she says. Or, if you’re like me and need soothing sounds on high volume, you won’t hear your professor at all. This is bad. I hope none of you need to resort to that, because it’s extremely difficult. It requires extra effort, and I will provide an example: Let’s say you’re sitting there in the best seat you can find in class and your professor is going over Chapter 4 in your book. You can’t allow yourself to hear him or her because they’re triggering you, so you turn the volume all the way up in your headphones. Much better. But now, you can’t hear the professor, and you’re sitting there waiting for class to end and trying to read the professor’s lips (an extremely difficult thing to do, something I fail at doing every time). But, you do know that you just went over Chapter 4. You figure you can go home and read it over on your own time. But when you get home, you skim the chapter, realizing it’s 40 pages long. You either sigh and get to work, or hope there’s a study guide later on down the road to look at, and do something else. Wait, there might be a quiz next week on the chapter. Maybe the professor hinted at some of the material that might be on the quiz? As you can see, this is difficult. I mean, you should go over class material on your own anyway, but when you don’t know where to start, you end up going over everything, or nothing at all.
• If headphones and earplugs don’t work, get your own snack. Sometimes, my headphones hurt way too much during a lecture. To remedy this a small bit, I buy myself my own snack from the store and drown out triggers by eating. The sound of my own eating drowns out the triggers around me. Of course, if you can’t stand the sound of your own eating, I do not recommend this. Also, the snack is a temporary fix, and once you’re done with it, it’s up to you what to do afterwards.
• Step out, rest, and come back. If I don’t have money for a snack and my headphones start to hurt too much, I have to step out of class for a little bit to give my ears a break. I try not to take longer than five minutes. I walk to the restroom and take my time going there and coming back. Usually, that helps me and I can wear my headphones again when I go back to class. They hurt after a little while again, but I try not to leave more than once during a lecture. If you have a professor who gets annoyed about students leaving and coming back, talk to them. Tell them you have misophonia and explain it briefly, and that you may have to leave class for a little while to calm down. Most professors who don’t like students coming and going are great and don’t mind after you explain to them why you need to leave.
• If you use a sound app, bring a portable charger. Sometimes, when I get to class even 30 minutes early, someone is there and in my seat—which is usually by a wall outlet—and I have to find somewhere else. As irritating as this is, if that happens, I find the next best seat (which may not have a wall outlet) and I feel ok knowing I have a portable charger with me just in case my phone battery starts to get too low. Since I use wireless headphones, and use bluetooth, I especially need a portable charger because bluetooth drains battery really fast. I got a great portable charger on Amazon.com for about $20. Just do some searching and you’ll find one if you don’t have a portable charger.
If you have anything you want to add, feel free to do so in the comments!

January 16, 2017 0 comments

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Coping

Stepping Out of the Negative Misophonia Cycle

by Sensory Diversity December 23, 2016

written by Sensory Diversity

I’m Meis, a Dutch Digital Nomad with Misophonia, who has found her healing – sort of – by changing life drastically.

The start

At the age of 15 the Misophonia disaster was waiting to happen. From being irritated at dinner, to now longer being able to walk around the house without headphones – anxious to attack my parents or to burst out into tears – it was done within only a few weeks. I moved to Amsterdam at the age of 18 and saw my parents – who triggered me the most – less and less. At first, with friends and roommates, I was still able to gather around one kitchen table, but this as well was about to change soon.

Then..

I dropped out of uni and searched help at several therapists and psychologists, but there was no one who would get or understand me. Feeling horrible and guilty, I started to skip dinner parties, birthdays, holidays and Christmas and often found myself home alone in my room, with earplugs and a blanket up until the top of my head, just to protect myself from the threatening world outside and sounds in my own house. I got obsessed with eating and exercising and felt depressed and lonely. I felt like a prisoner, captured in my own head, my small room and the world outside. Everybody was “armed”, except me. Opening a kitchen cabinet or someone taking an apple out of its bag, would make me feel I was balancing on the edge of a cliff, about crash down. Everybody tried to understand, but nobody who did.

I stared my second study and went on exchange to Thailand, where I was surprised to notice – despite shamelessly loud gurgling and chewing – that my Misophonia was less present than in Holland. I was far more relaxed, enjoyed social gatherings and was able to make it through class.

Being back home, the drama started all over again. I started to suffer from hyper ventilation, faced challenges even getting to school, left many exams without finishing them, due to the sounds surrounding me made by fellow students, and I almost quit studying again. Then the Misophonia item was addressed on national television. It was finally acknowledged. My last examen I made effortlessly in a separate room…

The desperation

Finding a job was rather challenging in 2014; finding a job where I could sit through a workday likely impossible. Every workday started with mentally preparing myself leaving the house, entering the office, than by screening my colleagues. Who had an apple, who was drinking coffee and who’s birthday was it today? My job was about avoiding triggers, surviving the work day, not about delivering the best results.

5 years of studying in which I was never able to reach my full potential, a job where I was also achieving less than I was able to and a social life – that I avoided mainly – where I hid myself strategically in corners and tried to get relaxed with the help of overly full wine glasses. Then when I had to leave my student flat, panic hit me hard. Gone, was the only place in this world where I felt safe and where I was in control of triggers.

In the hospital they’ve helped me well and they gave me the right tools to make life just a bit more relaxed. The acknowledgement and encountering fellow people suffering from Misophonia made me feel better. But after the treatment I got sucked into the negative downward spiral again.

The stress and desperation of not being able to perform well at work and to find a my own flat that I could pay for, made being with my family and friends (triggers) even more stressful. Subsequently, this made me unhappy and lonely, which caused again stress and eczema. It was getting harder and harder to be a strong, fun and smart ‘me’ and tolerating sounds was getting impossible. My negative Misophonia circle was complete…

This was not MY life in which I had control. The Misophonia had the control, everybody around me had control, my friends and family had control, every person making a sound had control. But where was MY control of MY life.

A new start, a new me

I wanted to escape from the life where misophonia was playing the lead. I quit my job, obtained a English teacher certificate and booked a flight to Buenos Aires: a new start.

In the three months that followed, I slept with 5 people in one dormitory, in the hostel where I was working in exchange for a bed. This wouldn’t be fun for anybody, but for me it was a huge achievement. I finally felt strong again.

I was gone from my world full of Misophonia, bad memories, associations and limitations. I entered a world in which everything was new, new impulses, new people, new associations and new possibilities – a new me. The Misophonia was still there, but just a little bit less. Everything that was ‘at home’ a nightmare, was here only a bad dream. I felt great, happy and strong in my ‘new’ life – which instantly reduced the symptoms.

I started to run out of my savings and panic started to take over. Then a very welcome guest entered the hostel, a guy who needed someone to do a writing job for him. This job was the start of my freelance career.

Months applying 40 hours a week to different jobs followed. I dived into world of writing and online marketing and slowly I started to get some clients. In the two years that followed I moved from Argentina to Holland, Colombia and Mexico and slowly I started to become self-sufficient as a freelancer.

I started to feel stronger and stronger. Negative associations and experiences made room for positive associations and experiences. Little by little the symptoms were – and still are – getting less fierce,

Finally people see who I really am, what I’m capable of – as I can work at home. And finally I’m the sweet fun daughter for my parents again, with who I’ve lost so many precious moments and time in the last 12 years.

From a drama movie to a romantic comedy

I‘ve started to write a book, in which I write about my experiences with Misophonia, my way to independency and my (trigger) experiences abroad – triggers that slowly started to get positive association

Loud people in the streets of Cali Colombia while practicing yoga, during which we amusingly had to shake our but as a warm-up. A ride in a ‘collectivo’- a shared taxi – to the supermarket, where we sat with 8 people crammed up together and a sweet mum started to hand out rock hard coconut taco’s.

In the program in the hospital, the movies – where positive feelings had to be matched to negative triggers – worked for me the best. I feel like I’ve stepped into my own movie. From drama movie, to an adventurist movie to maybe even a romantic comedy.

I’m positive

I’m very happy and relieved to notice that I am able to recover the connections in my brains partially. I even feel hopeful due to the fact that I’ve developed a new trigger – the sound of a running tap – after having been told daily in Mexico to be aware of the water shortage. It gives me hope noticing that my brains indeed can be trained and changed. I can recover bad connections, as long as I get the chance to do so – and this was in my case only possible to break the negative circle I was trapped in.

Currently I’m living in Argentina and I’m considering to move to Spain next year. Last summer we’ve celebrated Sinterklaas (Dutch tradition, normally taking place on December 5th) for the first time in 10 years again as a family, without ‘pepernoten’ (traditional cookies, rock hard), but with some snacks – something I had never imagined to be possible. Time to make up for all the time that we’ve lost.

One day I hope to finish my book and to inspire all people with mental issues to live life according the possibilities they have, not by the unfortunate limitations that they are facing. We are more than this illness. The world is at your feet.

December 23, 2016 0 comments

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Personal Stories Relationships

To the People I Love…

by Sensory Diversity June 25, 2016

written by Sensory Diversity

I realize that you have noticed odd behavior in me, and are worried. I know, that you know, that something is wrong. You love me, and want the best for me. You see that I am unhealthy, an underachiever, and reclusive. No, I am not on drugs, except my prescriptions. Yes, my mom mentioned to me that several of you have inquired about my symptoms and appearance, and I do not blame you. I know I look concerning. I have been too embarrassed, to tell you what was affecting me, and honestly, I believed that you wouldn’t truly understand, once I told you. You may have noticed my acting funny, or rude, and you may have even gotten sense that I am hiding something. I absolutely am. I have been hiding how deeply, a simple brain tick has broken me down further than I fear I will ever have the strength to build myself back up, but I am still trying. I downplay the impact, and avoid it, in person, mostly, for myself, but no one can deny, that I have, literally, dwindled down to pretty much nothing, and become stagnant.

I have a disorder.

I drive myself insane, trying to avoid sniffing, chewing, coughing, and various other everyday ambient sounds, visuals, and feelings, because of the way it affects my mind and body. This is an extreme, and constant chore. I have become a jumpy, eagle eyed, contortionist, which causes, anxiety and stress, and gives me headaches and body pains. I don’t want to be this way, but I realize I was just born sensitive, which encompasses many different types of sensitives, that I have to overcome. That is how I have to live. I started struggling, consistently, in school, once I hit puberty, around 5th grade. However, after I graduated from high school, while coming into adulthood, adding so many new responsibilities, and starting college, at the same time I was battling my own mind, I went into shock. I had an extremely hard time processing and adjusting. I basically shut down, and hardly took care of myself. I became very depressed, unhealthy, and my sensitivities became exponentially worse. If you want to know why I spend most of my time, staying in one place, doing a handful of the same things, and avoiding all human contact, it is because, that is the only way to lower my chances of being uncomfortable and stressed. I have learned to fake, what I call, “peopling,” but can only handle so much before I am over stimulated, and just want to go back home to peace and quiet. Which only makes me lonely, bored, and then sad, perpetuating my depression.

This is a real, and life changing disorder that is highly under-researched.

There are millions of people out there like me, with very similar, depressing stories of “unusual” sensitivities, and alienation, I have personally spoken to quite a few, and there are countless testimonies online in support groups. The scientific community has begun to take interest, finally, within the past twenty, or so, years. This disorder is only, now, in the beginning stages of research, and still doesn’t quite make a whole lot of sense to anybody, especially those suffering from it. However, that does not change how detrimentally seriously, these weird sensitivities affect me, and others like me.

Please, stop reminding me about my health.

I know that I am underweight, and I am consciously trying to change that, but the extreme amount of stress and anxiety my body undergoes, is counterproductive. Plus, my lack of drive to do anything at all, poses an obstacle. I suffer from depression, that I constantly try to distract myself from. I go back and forth between being extremely productive, “people-y”, overwhelmed, and stressed. Then, on the flip side, I shut myself in my house for days and watch Netflix and lollygag on the internet, hating myself for being such a freak, and an outcast. Thankfully, I can go to work, and hang out with kids all day long, because they don’t really tend to trigger me (I can make them blow their nose if need be.) Plus, it makes me feel good, knowing that I am positively influencing their lives. However, overall, this is not the life I want to live, but I am trying to do the best that I can, with it. Now I know what tools I was dealt, and I’m aware of my unique set of sensitivities.

I am educating myself, and have a plan.

Have begun taking calcium, iron, b-complex, and drink a protein shake in the morning. I eat 6 meals a day, high in protein, stretch and take care of my body, so that I can feel better overall. Even if it hurts, it takes effort, and I have zero drive to do anything. I know that the better I feel, more able I am to handle the extra stress my body and mind takes. I have been practicing more targeted coping methods, and investing in better quality earplugs and headphones. I don’t know what the future will hold for me, but now I know that I am in control of it, not my disorder. I am still human. I am my parents’ child, and the product of my family. I am relentless, and refuse to be a victim. I will come out on top. My sensitivities will not define me.

“I paced around for hours on empty
I jumped at the slightest of sounds
And I couldn’t stand the person inside me
I turned all the mirrors around

I’m bigger than my body
I’m colder than this home
I’m meaner than my demons
I’m bigger than these bones”

“Control,” by Halsey

To the people I love… I need your help.

Please, don’t be mad when I act peculiar, avoidant, or seem panicked, that only makes me mad at myself, and creates a bigger challenge when calming myself down. I don’t expect you to walk on eggshells, but if you could simply be conscious, and understanding of what bothers me. If you could even warn me, or avoid it, and then not dwell on it afterwards, that would be extremely relieving for me. I just need help, to be strong, overcome my disorder, and take control of my life. I need to feel validated. Help me and support me, instead of knocking me down, with good intentions, and a partial lack of understanding. I would be a lot happier, and a lot more fun. Please educate yourself about Misophonia (my aversion to sounds) and Misokenesia (my aversion to sights). Also, anxiety, depression, agoraphobia, and OCD, that I have been diagnosed with.

I will be sending this out, to those I love, and I hope that it opens up dialogue between us, and shortens the distance I feel from you. Mental illnesses, and disorders are always the elephant in the room, when all that does is create tension, anxiety, causes stigma, and divides people. Now that I am more comfortable talking about myself, you will get tired of hearing about my struggles; I get tired of experiencing them. That’s the whole catch, about it being a life altering disorder. Life is going to be an interesting experience for me, and a lot of things scare the hell out of me, for both sensitivity related reasons, and natural human fears. I hope that I am surrounded by understanding, support, and love through all of it.

June 25, 2016 0 comments

Coping

Reading: My Escape From Misophonia

by Sensory Diversity June 20, 2016

written by Sensory Diversity

I’ve always been an avid reader. My parents always encouraged me to read and to especially read books that I was interested in. From the novels, I love reading fiction, fantasy, mystery, and thriller. I also developed an interest in mangas (Japanese comic books and graphic novels), and read several online, as well as borrowed from my friends who owned some. But when I started college two years ago, I was only reading from my school books and not much else. Eventually, I got into the habit of hardly reading at all. However, I recently went to Viejas, which is close to San Diego, and bought a new manga at Barnes and Noble called Death Note, which is what you see pictured.

I was so excited when I saw the Death Note manga because I had read some of it before. I was even more excited when I could buy two volumes in one book! I’m already more than halfway through and I’m positive I’ll invest in every volume after. 🙂 Just a short explanation on what Death Note is: “Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects–and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. Will Light’s noble goal succeed, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against?” If that doesn’t pique your interest, then I don’t know what will! Since reading that short introduction years ago, I’ve been wanting to read the manga for so long, and now I finally am. Can you tell how excited this makes me?

The only thing about reading, for me, is that I need silence. No one needs to be talking, or else I can’t concentrate and I can hear every single trigger. If I’m bored in a public place, however, I can play some brown noise and concentrate on my book/manga that way, but the brown noise is still distracting. If I’m in my room, I put my fan on to combat the ringing in my ears (tinnitus).

I read to escape reality, especially to escape misophonia. Reading takes me into a magical world of dragons, warrior cats, solving mysteries, and the wizard boy who survived and defeated the Dark Lord. It makes me forget that I have misophonia, and lets me imagine a world that doesn’t trigger me. I have my parents to thank for making me read so much. Everyone needs something that’ll make them forget for a little while. I personally recommend choosing something healthy, like reading, photography, singing in a choir, and/or writing, but it’s all up to the individual. What’s your escape?

June 20, 2016 0 comments

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Coping

Don’t be Afraid

by Sensory Diversity June 12, 2016

written by Sensory Diversity

sharron

Another writer for Misophonia International E-Magazine, Sharon graduated yesterday. She messaged the rest of the staff and crew, with concern about the actual ceremony. Not only was she triggered by one of the speakers, but there would be large congregation of people, which guarantees triggers, and automatic anxiety, for Misophones, in general. This magazine has featured an article before, written by Vicki Sladowski, from the position of a parent going to see her son graduate, and struggling to be mentally present for such an milestone event, because of all of the aversive stimuli surrounding her. During her graduation ceremony, Sharon wanted to wear her earplugs that play brown noise, because wearing them, was the only way she felt comfortable and calm, exposed to all of that same stimuli. However, she expressed that her family members may not be too keen about this, probably because it might look strange, and people could ask questions. Graduation are a big day, it should be filled with good memories, yet, neurological disorders do not let up for celebrations. For the majority of Misophones, every day is a day they face their disorder, days that are suppose to be positive and happy, are no different.

Misophonia is serious.

It is a big deal to get through school with Misophonia, it can be a nightmare, and seriously torturous. I would not have survived grade school without earplugs, and even still, I would have to take bathroom breaks often, just to cool down. I listened to music any chance that a teacher would let me, because sometimes I could hear triggers through my earplugs. I constantly looked frightened and annoyed, and was often very socially awkward. It is a miracle that I even graduated. I got very angry, and cried a lot, mostly in secret, because no one believed me when I told them that sniffing, chewing, coughing, tapping, and ticking, were causing me so much distress. I would get home and lock myself in my room. I constantly had loud music or a fan going to drown out my family, which sounds terrible. Growing up, and going through school is confusing, and difficult enough, but add an odd, and unheard of, brain tick, in the mix, its and makes for an even more exciting time, way too exciting, and stressful.

Misophonia causes me act freakish and odd, for far too long, I was ashamed and defeated and sunk into a dark place, but now, I embrace and respect my uniqueness. Yes, it is strange and weird that I cannot physically and emotionally allow myself to repetitively sense a trigger, and not flee, stop, or mute the trigger in some way. Additionally, once I’m wound up from a trigger, I have to consciously calm and soothe myself back down to normal, before I can re-enter reality, and focus, without a charge of adrenaline rushing through me. It’s weird, and it is exhausting, but I have a neurological disorder, that pumps extreme floods of weird hormones, and sensations throughout my body, at the slightest noises and experiences. I live with it, I have no other choice. The sooner all sufferers and those around us, accept that we cannot control being triggered and accommodate it, one isolating aspect of the disorder is lifted, and it becomes a little bit easier to process.

There may not be a cure, and if there ever is, it is very far off. Some of us might be dealing with this, on our own, with internet knowledge, for the rest of our lives. I advocate, and write, for the future generations of Misophones. So that maybe we can gain faster recognition and prevent more blind suffering. Mental illnesses and strange learning and sensory disorders, in general, have risen in children by 16% in the last ten years, so humanity will have to pay more attention to the issue at some point. There are many theories in which people believe that the boom in technological advances within the last 50 years, happened faster than the human mind was capable of widely handling, and this is having some backlash. The younger generations now know how to work a cell phone or tv at one and two years old, yet ask your grandma to work them, and see how that goes. This is terrifying, in a way. Regardless, that is only a theory, as to why the learning and sensory disorders are rising, but it is a proven fact that there is an issue, whether it is chemicals we are consuming or using, or what.

Don’t struggle scared and alone, or be uncomfortable.

It has slowly been coming to light, every single day, that there are a lot more Misophones out there than we all realized. We are not alone. We are all different. We are triggered by different things, and affected in different ways, and we all seem to have very sad stories. I’m tired of hearing sad things about Misophonia. Yes, we have a disorder, but we still deserve to be happy in life. We shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask to put on music, or turn on a fan, or get up and take a breather or stretch when we are stressed, and we shouldn’t feel ashamed when we have to wear earplugs, or headphones, whenever, or wherever. Instead of hiding the reasoning and being passive, use the only weapon we can use over the anxiety, include others, and cope as best as we can. If people ask questions about why we are different, or particular, use it as an opportunity to advocate, explain that you have a neurological condition and how it affects you! No human is perfect, everyone has some sort of battle they face. You have no idea who around you may be struggling too, and being open may create a lot of healthy dialogue. We are not hurting anyone but ourselves by bottling up and feeling ashamed of our biggest hurdle in life, no matter how huge we think it is or how hard we think it will be.

We can still be comfortable and happy; We are still human.

Congratulations Sharon, and anyone else that has completed school with Misophonia, or any other learning disorder, or disability of any kind. Graduate school is very impressive, but even High school is a pretty big feat. You are amazing, and should be very proud, for what you had to overcome to get to that point. Give yourself some credit.

My reply to Sharon…

She wore her earplugs, during her ceremony, and took them out before going up and receiving her associates degree. People probably noticed, but who cares? She was a lot better off, than if she hadn’t worn them. There is no need for a suffer to subject selves to a surefire panic attack, if it can be prevented. For my high school graduation, I wore earplugs. I kept popping the one furthest away from everything, in and out, to hear things around me, when needed, and hid it in my gown to grab my diploma. Sometimes, with disorders, like Misophonia, you just have to do whatever it takes to stay content.

Sufferers: Don’t be afraid to take precautions, or be comfortable.

Written by Rachel Tew

June 12, 2016 0 comments

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Coping

Long Car Rides and Misophonia Simply Don’t Mix

by Sensory Diversity June 7, 2016

written by Sensory Diversity

If you’ve ever been on a long field trip, whether it’s to visit family or go on vacation (or a combination of both), and you were stuck in the car with all kinds of triggers, you know what I’m talking about. It’s probably the worst thing to anticipate and go through, especially if you HAVE to go on the trip because your family is saying “You have to go. This is why it is always important to have insurances like One Sure Insurance covering your cars, you never know when you will need to make an unexpected trip, Get the facts here”

Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and I love spending time with them, it’s just most of my family basically live on the other side of the world. And since I don’t see them often, when a trip is planned, I have to go and I get extremely anxious.

I’ve learned to prepare like crazy when trips like these spring up out of the blue. I prepare two ways. The first way is mentally. I have to acknowledge my anxiousness about the trip, and then let myself know that I’ll be ok. That doesn’t get rid of my anxiousness, but it brings it down a lot, which helps me think more clearly. The second way I prepare is by bringing my over the ear headphones to plug into my phone and listen to music in the car. If not music, then I listen to brown noise on an app.

Second, I bring things to read in the car, and that can range from 300 page novels to a single comic book. If the ride is long, I make sure to bring a couple books and a few comic books (if you’re interested, I love to read Spider-Gwen and Girl Thor ?).

This year, I’m visiting my aunt, uncle, cousin and his wife and children in New Mexico. I live in California. You can guess how long of a car ride that’s gonna be. LONG. So I must be prepared in order to survive (sounds like I’m preparing for a zombie apocalypse or something!). Thankfully, my relative that’ll drive me up there knows I have misophonia. She likes to play music in the car if the ride is long, so I can understand that. However, if the music starts to trigger me, I can ask her to either turn it off, turn it down, or just put on my headphones and listen to brown noise. This is just what I do when I’m stuck in a car for a long time with no way to escape, and I hope it helps you.

I’m so thankful I have my relative’s support, because I know many of you don’t have support from your family, and I think that’s terrible. When I first started experiencing misophonia, my parents didn’t support me either. I went online and showed them evidence that what I was experiencing was real and valid. That’s when they started to be more supportive. If you’ve already tried this and your family still isn’t supportive, just know that you are valuable and neither your family nor misophonia should make you feel any less. I encourage you to keep trying if it’s safe to do so (by “safe”, I mean if your mom or dad or other relative don’t start yelling at you and start triggering you on purpose when you bring up misophonia, then you should persist in trying to help them see that misophonia is real, and that their support is vital).

Thanks for reading!

June 7, 2016 0 comments

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Coping

College Misophonia Sufferers

by Sensory Diversity June 7, 2016

written by Sensory Diversity

College misophonia sufferers face troubles that many students have never imagined.

I’m a college sophomore, soon to graduate from my community college (yay!) And from my time there–2 years–I have had to deal with countless triggers from other classmates and from the professors themselves.

Let me tell you, it’s HARD to concentrate on a lecture when your own professor triggers you. All I hear is the trigger noise and the screaming voice in my head telling me to “just leave and forget school and go live in the mountains with your boyfriend where it’s nice and quiet and no one can trigger you”.

But alas, reality kicks in sooner or later.

For the past two years, I’ve been wearing earplugs to school and bringing a pair of over the ear headphones along to put on during lectures. The headphones ruin my cute outfit, but I gotta do what I gotta do.

This year, I had the brilliant idea to pick five 3-hour classes (four of them are once a week, hence why they’re longer. I took an American Sign Language class that was twice a week and the class was about three hours) and one regular class (twice a week, usually an hour and 30 minutes). So I have had to wear my headphones for most of those classes, and man did my ears and head hurt from wearing the headphones for such a long time. But, it was either wear the headphones or never step foot in class again. No pain no gain, right? ?

When I wore the headphones, I didn’t play any music or white/brown noise because I wouldn’t be able to hear my professor. I tried it in one of my classes and I was lost the entire time. I go to college to learn, not to get lost in my comfortable world of music and brown noise. My aunt always tells me to “get out of my comfort zone”, so I suppose I’m doing that on a daily basis already by not letting my misophonia control me so much at school, even if she doesn’t think I am.

Sometimes, when I’m having a really bad misophonia day, headphones don’t work either…I can hear a trigger noise through my headphones and I feel like I’m going insane. I mimic the sound and sit there trying to retain what my professor is saying, but I never can, so I have to go through my book and skim the chapter we covered.

I don’t have a huge problem with classmates being triggers. There’s the occasional foot tapper, the one that eats during class, the two people whispering to each other during class, and the one weird person slurping water from his HAND (yep, that happened once!), but my headphones drown most of that stuff out. It’s the professor that’s usually the main problem. I can still hear my classmates, but not as much as I would if my headphones were off or if I wasn’t wearing earplugs.

I fear one day I’ll say to myself “I’ve had enough” and just quit school and get a job somewhere that only requires a high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree (which I’ll be getting soon!). But I know my family would be disappointed, and my boyfriend would worry about our future together, so that keeps me from being dumb. For now, anyway.

In the end, the way I cope isn’t the best, but it’s all I can do. I’ve tried going to an audiologist for assistance (hearing filters), but that didn’t go as planned because they never got back to me. I rely on earplugs 24/7 and headphones for situations where if I leave due to a trigger, I’ll feel rude/miss out on something. I know putting in earplugs for long amounts of time can’t be at all healthy, but what else can I do? Would I be willing to try going without earplugs? Only if there was a better alternative. Like the equivalent of earplugs, but they work like earphones and filter out all the offending noises. ? I hope this was a good read, thanks for reading!

June 7, 2016 0 comments

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