What is the best therapy for misophonia? Misophonia is a condition in which repetitive sounds can trigger a person to behave emotionally, causing feelings of anxiety, fear, disgust, and more. Sometimes, this condition can get out of hand and negatively affect people’s behaviors indoors and outdoors. There is no specific cause behind Misophonia, and there is also no cure. But there are surely a few treatments to help Misophonia patients alleviate side effects and keep them under control.
These treatments could have a very positive impact if you adopt them at an earlier stage. If you’re struggling with Misophonia, you may have to take these therapies for a while, depending on how you start reacting after a while. Mentioned below are the best therapies for Misophonia and how it is important to attain them as soon as possible.
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Best Therapies for Misophonia
Mentioned below are a few therapies for Misophonia that can help patients deal with symptoms and have control over it, so it does not impact their behavior. These therapies take a lot of time to work but are effective in one way or another:
1. Counseling Sessions
Simple counseling is one of the best therapies for Misophonia. In most cases, it’s the first option recommend to patients. Misophonia is something that can impact the patient’s family as well, which is why it is important for both the patients and family members to be a part of the counseling session. During the counseling session, the counselor will discuss the effect of Misophonia and how it impacts each family member as well as the patient.
This will help the family members come to an understanding of how to be more cooperative and supportive of someone with Misophonia and at the same time how they can deal with the reactions calmly other than reacting in an aggressive way that would only make things worse.
2. Sound Therapy/Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
Sound therapy is one of the most effective forms of treatment for Misophonia. This therapy involves filling your auditory channel with calm sounds to reduce the power a certain sound can have. This causes it to become a monophonic one. This therapy does not fully eliminate the trigger, but it reduces the trigger and reaction you have to it. The patient receives the sound through a sound generator behind the ear.
You could also use a phone or a Bluetooth speaker, but these are more visible, and the therapy is trying to eliminate that as well, helping the patient feel comfortable. The purpose of his therapy is to learn how to tolerate sound and, at the same time, reduce the effects of misophonia.
3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is another way to change any negative triggers that could be the reason for Misophonic sound triggers. There are many cases in which CBT proved to reduce the impact of Misophonia on a person. If you’re dealing with Misophonia, one of the main things you must learn to do is how to remain calm when you’re triggered, and that is something you can’t really do on your own.
Once the effects of CBT treatment works and change the way you think about dealing with this condition, then you are more likely to be able to manage Misophonia much better than you thought you could. CBT does involve the use of ear-level devices that give out calming sounds of nature and have been proven to have a positive effect on the treatment of Misophonia patients. Regularly receiving this therapy can surely help Misophonia patients enjoy a better quality of life.
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How Long Do These Therapies Take to Work?
These therapies take time to work. You can’t expect to wake up and magically feel better. Misophonia is something you may have to deal with all your life, and there is no cure for it. Nevertheless, certain therapies can help you manage it better and prevent it from getting in the way of your day-to-day life. These therapies are slow but definitely effective.
You may start to see a few improvements after the first two weeks of your treatments, and of course, this depends on how many times a week you opt for treatment. The time frame of these therapies also depends on the intensity of your treatments and when you or your family members were able to detect your condition. Earlier detection increases the potential efficacy of treatment.
The Bottom-Line
Now that you are aware of the different therapies offered for patients with Misophonia, it is important to recommend these to those suffering from it. If you yourself are dealing with Misophonia, these therapies can help you in many ways.
Contact the Misophonia Cognitive Center™ in New York and book an appointment for your therapy today.