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How to Deal with Misophonia: 10 Practical Strategies

By Ange Ndoudi · · 9 min read

There's no cure for misophonia yet, but there is a lot you can do to make daily life easier. What helps most is a mix: understanding what's happening when you're triggered, using sound to cushion triggers, keeping earplugs for specific moments, giving yourself a way out, looking after stress and tiredness, talking to the people around you, and considering therapy if misophonia is taking over.

I have misophonia myself, and mouth sounds are my hardest trigger. Here are ten strategies, each with what the research and specialist organisations say about it.

Is there a cure for misophonia?

Not today. Cleveland Clinic explains that mental health therapies can't cure misophonia, but they can help (Cleveland Clinic). The Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation says there is no single treatment that works for everyone, but that there are ways to get help grounded in evidence-based practices (Duke CMER).

soQuiet, a misophonia nonprofit, puts it in perspective: many conditions have no cure, and it is still possible to live a rewarding life with misophonia (soQuiet). Be wary of anyone promising to make it disappear.

1. Remind yourself what's happening

When a trigger hits, it can feel like the other person is doing it on purpose. They almost never are. An NHS leaflet on misophonia written by audiologists says it plainly: "The person who is making the sounds you are reacting towards is not doing so on purpose", and "your reaction is an impulse, not a choice" (NHS Lothian).

Neither of you is to blame. Keeping that in mind won't stop the reaction, but it can stop it from turning into an argument.

2. Learn your triggers and patterns

Identifying your triggers is one of the first things therapy for misophonia works on (Cleveland Clinic). You can start on your own: note which sounds affect you, where, and with whom.

The pattern is often revealing. The 2022 consensus definition of misophonia notes that the strength of a reaction can depend on the context, on how much control you feel you have over the sound, and on your relationship with the person making it (Swedo et al., 2022). That is why the same sound can be bearable from a stranger and unbearable from someone you live with.

3. Cushion triggers with sound

Masking means adding a sound you like, or a neutral one, so triggers stand out less. Cleveland Clinic lists listening to something that keeps your attention away from trigger sounds, and noise generators with white, pink or brown noise, among the ways people manage misophonia (Cleveland Clinic). As one person with misophonia wrote on the soQuiet blog: "Music and white noise act as a sort of cushion to a trigger sound" (soQuiet).

Keep the volume moderate: the World Health Organization recommends staying below 60% of your device's maximum volume (WHO).

4. Use earplugs and headphones for specific moments

Earplugs and noise cancelling headphones are genuinely useful, but there's a catch: your hearing adapts to how much sound it gets. The NHS advises people with sound sensitivity not to wear earplugs or ear muffs all the time, because this could make them more sensitive to noise (NHS). Studies of people wearing earplugs for several days found that sounds were then perceived as louder (Formby et al., 2003).

A good rule of thumb: use them for a meal, a commute or a noisy office, then take them out. I compare the options in detail in my guide to noise cancelling headphones for misophonia.

5. Give yourself a way out

Feeling trapped makes everything worse. The NHS Lothian leaflet warns: "If you are forced to stay where you are upset, you probably will become more upset. It is important to make sure you can leave and go somewhere safe" (NHS Lothian).

In practice, that can mean sitting near the door, agreeing in advance that you can step out of a meal, or simply knowing you can take a five-minute break. Often, just knowing the exit is there makes it easier to stay.

6. Watch stress and tiredness

Many people with misophonia notice that bad days make triggers harder to bear, and research points the same way. In a large online study, 60.5% of participants said their triggers were worse when they were tired (Rouw & Erfanian, 2018). A 2024 study found that perceived stress predicted how severe misophonia was (Guetta et al., PLOS ONE, 2024).

These studies show a link, not proof that stress causes worse reactions. Still, if you know a demanding week is coming, it's worth planning more breaks and more masking than usual.

7. Talk to the people around you

Explaining misophonia to family, a partner or flatmates is hard, but it changes a lot. Most people simply don't know the condition exists: in a UK study, only 13.6% of adults had heard the word (Vitoratou et al., 2023).

A few tips:

  • Pick a calm moment, not the middle of a trigger.
  • Explain that it's a reaction, not a judgment of them.
  • Ask for one or two specific things, like eating with the radio on or sitting at a different spot at the table.
  • Acknowledge their side too. soQuiet notes that if you have misophonia, it helps to recognise that your loved ones' feelings are valid as well (soQuiet).

soQuiet also offers free misophonia cards that explain the condition in a few lines, which can make the first conversation easier.

8. Ask for adjustments at work

Open offices are full of triggers: chewing at desks, keyboards, colleagues on calls. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a US service that advises on workplace accommodations, lists ideas for misophonia (JAN), including:

  • noise cancelling headsets or earbuds;
  • white noise or sound machines, or listening to music;
  • a modified workspace, sound absorption panels or a private office;
  • flexible schedules, extra breaks and working from home.

In the US, soQuiet takes the position that people with misophonia can use the Americans with Disabilities Act to request reasonable accommodations (soQuiet). This isn't legal advice: rules differ between countries, so check with a qualified adviser or, in the US, with JAN.

9. Find people who understand

Talking to people who live with the same thing can be a relief. soQuiet runs free online peer support groups led by people with lived experience of misophonia, including groups for parents, teens and partners. The Misophonia Association offers education, support groups and events, and the r/misophonia community on Reddit is active.

10. Consider therapy

If misophonia affects your work, your relationships or your mood most days, it is worth talking to a professional. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has the strongest evidence so far. In the first randomised clinical trial of CBT for misophonia, 37% of people in the CBT group showed clinical improvement, compared with 0% on the waiting list, and the effect lasted at least a year (Jager et al., 2021).

The evidence is still limited. A 2023 systematic review found one randomised trial, one open trial and a series of case studies, and called for more rigorous research (Mattson et al., 2023). Other approaches, such as counterconditioning or acceptance-based therapies, have so far been studied mostly in individual cases. A clinician familiar with misophonia can help you work out what makes sense for you.

What about screens and videos?

Many of us meet our triggers online: creators eating on camera, podcasters smacking their lips, close microphones that pick up every mouth sound. Most of the strategies above apply there too, plus a few specific to video. I cover them in how to watch YouTube with misophonia.

If someone you love has misophonia

If you're reading this for someone else, soQuiet's "5-A" approach is a good starting point (soQuiet):

  1. Acknowledge: accept that their experience is real.
  2. Ask what would help.
  3. Assure them you'll keep their needs in mind.
  4. Accommodate where you can; the request is often simpler than it seems.
  5. Advocate: be an ally.

Above all, don't take it personally. Their reaction is to the sound, not to you.

Frequently asked questions

Can you get rid of misophonia?

There is no cure at the moment, and specialist organisations advise caution with anyone who claims one. But therapies such as CBT have shown benefits in research, and practical strategies can make daily life much easier.

Does stress make misophonia worse?

Research shows a link: in one study, perceived stress predicted misophonia severity, and in another, most participants said triggers were worse when they were tired. That doesn't prove stress causes it, but managing stress is a reasonable part of coping.

Is it bad to avoid triggers?

Avoiding a trigger in the moment is normal, and having a way out helps. Avoiding all sound, or wearing earplugs all day, can backfire: the NHS warns that it can make you more sensitive to noise.

How do I explain misophonia to someone?

Choose a calm moment, explain that it's an automatic reaction to specific sounds rather than a judgment of them, and ask for one or two concrete changes. Free explanation cards from soQuiet can help.

Can I get accommodations at work for misophonia?

In the US, the Job Accommodation Network lists ideas such as noise cancelling headsets, white noise, modified workspaces and flexible schedules, and soQuiet's position is that the ADA can apply. Elsewhere, check your local rules with a qualified adviser.

Sources

This article shares personal experience and general information. It isn't medical advice: if sounds affect your daily life, a doctor, audiologist or therapist familiar with misophonia can help.

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