Is Hating Noise Really Anger Or Is It Something Else?

by Sarinne

First of all, thank you, Dr DeFoore, for the supportive and positive help you offer for free on this excellent site!

I'm wondering if you have ever worked with someone who has misophonia, the feeling of instantaneous and intense rage some people experience when they hear certain trigger sounds (often chewing, sinus sniffling, a whistling "S" sound, or other bodily sounds). It affects some people so severely that they are not able to eat at the same table with other people, for example.

Here's a guy describing what it's like on this blog.

Is this anger, or is there something else going on? Can you recommend any techniques for conquering or coping with it?

Thanks for any insights or suggestions you can offer.

Response from Dr. DeFoore

Hello Sarinne, and thanks for telling your story here--and for the positive feedback on my work. You pose an interesting question. I have never heard of misophonia, but after watching the video, I have some ideas to share.

My 38 years of professional experience tells me that anger is never a free standing, nonsensical emotion--even though it often seems to be. There is always a story behind strong emotion, or there would be no strong emotion.

You ask if this is anger, and the answer is yes...it is definitely anger. However, the sound is a trigger, not a cause. Healing comes when you get to the cause of the emotional reaction, which happens when you discover the story behind the experience. That's why I so often recommend this three part journaling process to visitors who submit their questions. It allows them various ways of exploring their story, and making their emotions more conscious--which is when the healing begins.


There is a danger in diagnosis, because it sometimes implies a static condition, or an affliction that randomly affects some people. If I were treating the man in the video, for instance, I would not put much emphasis on the diagnosis. I would first find out if he really wanted to heal--an important first step--then we would proceed to determine and treat the cause.

I know that you have your own web site that deals with noise problems, which I think is very helpful.

Thanks for your submission. I hope my response was helpful.

My very best to you,

Dr. DeFoore

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