Abstract
As a relatively new condition, little is understood about the individual’s
experience of misophonia. Twenty-four semi-structured interviews were carried
out with people with self-reported misophonia. Thematic analysis was used to
analyse the data and develop inductive themes. Three themes were developed,
“the experience of the response to the trigger (with three subthemes: emotional,
physiological, and behavioural),” “the perceived impact of misophonia (with
three subthemes: the impact on self-esteem, relationships and day-to-day life),”
and “Influencing factors (with three subthemes: coping, feeling understood, and
exacerbating factors).” The results give an in-depth understanding of the
experience of a misophonic response, the impact on the self and interactions
with others, and how they coped. The results suggest targeting the avoidant
coping strategies and raising awareness of available treatment and support
groups may be helpful for managing misophonia and reducing the negative
impact of this condition.