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The "Butterfly's Whisper" Blog

Welcome to my blog. I hope by sharing my own misophonia experiences, others who are frustrated with misophonia sensitivities will discover that they're not alone. I also hope that people who may not have misophonia will gain some insight about what it's like to have this condition.

Please feel free to post any comments or use the "Contact Us" page if you have any questions/comments you don't want to post online.

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Auditory Stimuli for Coping with Triggers

2/27/2013

9 Comments

 
I received a comment to my 2/17/13 post and felt that my answer would be beneficial to anyone wanting to learn more about misophonia. The question pertained to using auditory stimuli for coping with unwanted triggers... (For the full question, click the comment button on that post.)

Thanks for the question, Sarah. Yes, auditory stimuli are frequently used  to cancel unwanted trigger sounds. I personally love to listen to music through  noise canceling earbuds and it works awesome. (I describe the headphones more fully in my 1/19/13 post.) For me, listening to the music works much better than my earplugs because they completely block out triggers - as well as other distracting sounds. Although my earplugs are quite good, they still allow me to hear conversations and other outside sounds. Listening to music isn't the only type of auditory stimuli that is used to cope with triggers though...

When I was first diagnosed with misophonia, the doctor allowed me to test a  pair of noise generators (I don't remember if they were considered white noise,  pink noise, or brown noise generators...) as a means to help cope with the multitude of triggers that bothered me. The noise generators looked like little hearing aid earpieces with a tiny filament that sticks inside the ear and created a low hissing sound. (They were  similar to what I found on this earplug website, but a lot less clunky.) From what I understand about how they functioned, the hissing creates a sound buffer that covers up the majority, but not all, of triggering sounds. The doctor described the trigger sounds pictorally, like a wave diagram, and the noise generator supposedly creates a higher sound baseline that only allows the tips of the offending sound waves to pass through. (See diagram below.) By doing that, the wearer can still hear normally through but the triggers are not as noticeable above the white noise.
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It was an interesting concept and although I didn't wear the devices long (so I wasn't able to determine if they helped me when exposed to triggers), the "geek" in me could definitely see how it might work.

In the end though, I decided not to get the devices for two reasons: 1) They were pretty expensive (her "discounted rate" was about $900/ear, and the $1,800 to get devices for both ears would not be covered by my insurance. I was not ready for that kind of out-of-pocket hit to my wallet especially when my $5  earplugs - for a pack of 50 pair - were giving me similar results), and 2) Sounds only constitute a fraction of my misophonia triggers. Granted, sounds are the largest component of my triggers, but they are followed very closely by numerous visual triggers and tactile ones as well. I didn't want to spend so much money on devices that only address part of my misophonia triggers. I'd rather use the money towards my search for doctors that are willing to look at my condition medically as a whole and might be able to help me find a more comprehensive treatment/solution.

But that's just me... I'm sure there are other misophonia sufferers who don't have the diversity of senses affected by triggers; and for those people, these noise generating devices may be a great way to function without using earplugs to dull the overall sense of hearing. I think it's up to the individual to find what works best for him/her situation.
9 Comments
Sarah link
2/27/2013 10:30:51 pm

This is fascinating, Emlyn. As someone who does not suffer from misophonia or tinnitus (and I know they are not the same, but that similar auditory stimuli are applied to both), I've never understood the uses of "white", "pink", and "brown" noise frequencies; actually, I find them quite irritating. However, your diagram visually depicting the frequency waves helps to make some sense out of what each of these stimuli are tackling and how they might be cancelling out other auditory irritations. I always assumed the tactic was for distraction, but as I am reading here and doing some research, I realize that was a pretty naive thought. this is much more like watching the wake of a boat encounter natural ocean waves at a 90 degree angle, and seeing how they cancel each other out. Just enlightening.

Have you done any research into whether or not your are an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person)? I am reading here that your misophonia disruptions are not exclusively auditory, so it gave me pause for thought since I am a recently "diagnosed" HSP. I hightly recommend Elaine N. Aron's, "The Hightly Sensitive Person". It's pretty much the handbook on HSP triggers and coping mechanisms.

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Catherine Barber
3/14/2013 07:59:13 pm

I too read Elaine Aron's first book 'Highly Sensitive Person' and now know that I am most definitely a HSP. It would be interesting to know if Elaine Aron knows of Misophonia and whether she's written anything on this as well.

I've noted that Misophonia is described as a neurophysiological condition whereas Elaine Aron is, I believe, a psychologist or psycho-analyst/therapist.

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Jim
4/10/2013 10:12:03 am

I have used the pink noise generators for about four years now (or, only one of them lately, as one lost the piece that holds it in my ear).

The idea, as Dr. Johnson told me, was to retrain my ears. Silence is supposedly damaging for us. So a noise coming in that completely stimulates our ears is like exercising a group of muscles. They get stronger, and noise has less power to "hurt" us.

I'm afraid I've noticed no improvement. I like the devices because, as your graph shows, they allow us to be closer to people who may be making unpleasant sounds. But they also make conversation more difficult.

For me, hearing is by far the most difficult sense. I'm somewhat affected in my other senses - maybe touch is a distant second - but it seems easy to cope with in comparison in most cases.

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Emlyn Altman link
4/11/2013 09:28:38 am

Yes, from what I understand, silence can make misophonia worse because when we "mute" all sounds, the ear/brain is like, "I can't hear as well. Let me turn up the amplifier/microphone to try to hear better," which ultimately means we become more sensitive to sounds. Since I use loud music through my noise cancelling earbuds to cope with triggers, my ears are constantly "exercised" (I like how you put that...) Even then, I'm super sensitive to triggers.

Although I tested the feel of those pink noise generators when I originally was diagnosed with misophonia, I never went ahead to actually buy a pair. The firm where I currently work, while very interested in the well-being of its employees, last year started a high deductible insurance plan, which basically means that any medical services outside of standard preventative care comes out of my own pocket. I found that to be a tough pill to swallow knowing that I'd have to pay over $1,800 out of pocket to get those noise generators. Considering listening to music through my $35 earbuds blocks out all my triggers (not to mention all other surrounding sounds), I figured I'd just save my money to use towards potential doctors' visits and other misophonia/brain scanning tests instead.

Even if I could afford them, I'm not sure how effective they'd be for me. Of course, I'm saying this without actually having tried them in a trigger filled environment and I know that so many people have greatly benefited from them too. I just find that my ears are so sensitive to sound now, I think if they hear even a hint of a trigger, it'd still annoy me. (I've plugged my ears with my fingers in the middle of a conversation at work when I hear even a faint whistling across the building!)

Sound triggers are the worst for me too, although I have almost as many visual triggers as well. Tactile triggers are my third worst (maybe only a dozen of those) but I do have a few taste/smell triggers too. The smell of cigarette smoke drives me crazy. The person doesn't even have to be actively smoking near me for me to get annoyed (I can smell the smoke lingering on their body and clothes.) Sometimes I can even smell it clear across the room. It just makes me want to bolt as soon as I smell it.

Oh well. Maybe I need to get that balm that EMT professionals put under their nose when they deal with stinky situations. LOL! %-)

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Catherine Barber
4/11/2013 07:44:50 pm

On an entirely different trigger to my usual ones - my friend cannot stand perfumes or fragrances of any kind. He hates anything from perfume worn by anyone to the synthetic fragrances in cosmetics and cleaning/laundry products; and air fresheners and airwicks and fabric conditioner; and also those sprays used to kill weeds..... he hates the idea of these 'stinks' going up one's nose into one's lungs, and also 'polluting' the surrounding air, and the herbicide chemicals polluting the ground -and then this all 'polluting' his shoes and clothes, and then bringing this indoors..

I wondered if anyone else had these dislikes/triggers - my friend would be really interested to hear of anyone like this.

I don't know what he'd make of the 'balm' you mentioned, 'that EMT professionals put under their nose when they deal with stinky situations'..... is that a more natural-herb-y sort of 'scent'?

Emlyn Altman link
4/11/2013 11:34:15 pm

Well, you can include me too. There are some scents, beyond cigarette smoke, that annoy the heck out of me. I know there's some sort of soap that smells like Ivory on steroids (but I don't think it's actually Ivory). I haven't figured out what that one is yet. Some perfumes are really bad for me too. In fact, the last time I flew on a business trip, the woman who sat in front of me had perfume so offensive to me, I actually asked the guy sitting in the window seat across the aisle from me if he'd mind switching seats with me. (I was in a window seat too.) I was *VERY* fortunate, that he was willing to swap with me. I think I would've been in serious trouble if I had to spend hours on a plane breathing that woman's perfume.

I hadn't added trigger smells on the website, because I wasn't sure if it was just me, or if it might be just a dislike in general that's not related to misophonia. My aunt/cousin both have serious aversions to certain scents, but they don't have sound, visual or other trigger sensitivities. Yes I know that misophonia is said to be genetic, but I'm sure there are people who dislike certain smells/tastes/sounds/feelings/etc. that don't necessarily have misophonia. From your comment though, I guess I shouldn't have excluded tastes/smells. (I might inquire on some other discussion groups. If those misophonia sufferers say they have taste/smell triggers too, I'll add them to the list.)

As far as the balm, I've heard it's some sort of A menthol/camphor cream, such as Vick's Vapor Rub, but I just found something else on Amazon.com that's called NOXO.

(http://www.amazon.com/NOXO-Odor-Defense-Nasal-Balm/dp/B0041MD81G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365773503&sr=8-1&keywords=noxo)

I've never tried a balm before but now that I see that NOXO stuff, I might buy one to keep on hand, like I always keep a set of earplugs in my purse/pockets for triggers that come out of nowhere. :-)

Reply
Emlyn Altman link
4/20/2013 07:08:46 am

By the way... When I looked further into that NOXO stuff, I found out that it supposedly has a vanilla scent. I'm sure that'd be much more enjoyable than a menthol/camphor cream. :-)

Reply
Jim
4/12/2013 04:30:23 am

I find I'm sensitive to smell, but it doesn't form triggers in my case. Smell is our most primal sense, perhaps it's well integrated with the amygdala's fight-or-flight injection of brain candy. I can handle it easily enough, though I think your stinky fellow airplane traveler would be difficult to endure. I'd imagine, though, if stinky were someone you worked with, a trigger could form whenever you saw her in the building.

To me, the triggers are sometimes as bad as the disorder itself. This weekend, my bar trivia team was playing in the league finals and we had assigned seating. Even though the bar was loud enough that the actual auditory triggers weren't very bad, I was still in an uncomfortable spot positioned amidst a sea of fellow trivial pursuers. I was literally shaking for a while.

I'm not sure that the exercise analogy works. It's certainly what Dr. Johnson believes. And I think it follows Dr. Jastreboff's work. It's a nice theory. It doesn't feel right, though. I think it's more lifestyle. Since we often choose a lifestyle where we can avoid triggers, our brains crave peace, whether it's silent or with noise we find comforting. You could make the argument that constant comforting noise is even worse than silence, because when there's a trigger noise, we learn to pick it out from the ocean of comforting noise. I've slept with a fan on for most of my life.

Anyway, maybe we could call this the Princess and the Pea disorder, or the Needle in a Haystack disorder.

Reply
Emlyn Altman link
4/20/2013 07:05:58 am

Interesting point... I actually watched a webinar about misophonia presented by a behavioral scientist Thursday night. (The one mentioned in my 4/10 post). Your comment about a "stinky" coworker forming a trigger whenever a person would see her walking in the building is very similar to the comparison the scientist made to Pavlov's experiments with dogs salivating whenever they saw meat. He commented that there came a point that the dogs would salivate whenever just saw Pavlov or his assistant because the dogs associated them with the meat.

I'm sure what probably exaggerated the woman with the perfume was the fact that we were in a very small, confined plane cabin. If she and I were in the middle of an open field with lots of fresh air, I wonder if I really would have reacted so strongly to the perfume.

Believe it or not, I've actually thought of the Princess and the Pea story with regard to this disorder too. I wonder if Hans Christian Anderson knew someone with misophonia at that time which became the inspiration for the story...

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    About the Author

    Emlyn Altman has been suffering with misophonia for over 40 years, even though she only found out about the actual medical condition much more recently. As frustrating as the condition has been over the years, her heightened sensitivities across all the senses considerably influenced her talents within the visual fine arts (particularly sculpture), music (singing, piano, and many other instruments), writing, and culinary backgrounds, as well as professional achievements as an architectural lighting designer. Her goal in developing this website is to promote more awareness about misophonia and help other sufferers as well.


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