Noise Knows Its Place

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Expectations of sound in various environments shape our perceptions of appropriateness. Loud noises at concerts are accepted, while using speakerphones in public spaces, like transport, creates discomfort and feels contextually wrong. As this behavior becomes more common, it raises concerns about societal standards for noise in public. Despite the prevalence of speakerphone use, there is a desire for maintaining certain boundaries regarding noise levels to ensure comfort for all. For individuals affected by unwanted noise, like those with misophonia, seeking treatment options such as exposure therapy and response prevention might offer ways to manage the discomfort stemming from such exposures.

Forks on teeth. Lip smacking. Metal on metal. (Don’t worry, there are no sonic examples of triggers in this episode!) Why do some of us haaaate certain noises and other folks cannot comprehend how a sound could be so irritating? Let’s meet in the middle with a professional Misophonologist, clinical psychologist, and Oxford University research fellow Dr. Jane Gregory. Dr. Gregory not only has misophonia, but has propelled research and public awareness of the condition. We lob so many questions to learn: what it feels like to have it, how many people experience it, the most common sounds that trigger it, what your brain thinks is happening, why certain people or situations may be worse than others, how to be helpful to people with misophonia, headphones, earplugs, exposure therapies, cognitive behavior therapy, experimenting on oneself, age and misophonia, and where zombies fit into it.

Visit Dr. Jane Gregory’s website and follow her on Instagram and X

Get her book, Sounds Like Misophonia: How to Stop Small Noises from Causing Extreme Reactions on Bookshop.org or Amazon

Read her papers on ResearchGate

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2024 #WorldLizardDay Programming with Dr. Earyn McGee