Any Resources on Misophonia?

Hello all. I hope this finds you well.

I am writing this post on behalf of a friend of mine who is from Syria. She has suffered from misophonia for 8 years (severe sensitivity to chewing and the clicking of keyboard sounds). She is a classic TMS case and understands that her symptoms are likely psychogenic.

With that said, we have not been been able to find many testimonies of TMS people with misophonia. I believe it is not explicitly listed as a TMS equivalent in the Mindbody Prescription which she has been working through.

Any testimonies/links/book chapters you might recommend for her to help crystallize the link between the general facts about TMS and her particular condition? Or if you yourself have dealt with misophonia your input would be invaluable.

Thanks!

 

Hi Benjiro,

I understand the desire to find success stories from people who have the exact same manifestation of TMS that we have. But because TMS is a product of the mind/brain, and the mind/brain is incredibly complex, TMS can manifest in an infinite number of ways. So this is not always possible. I think it is important to focus on the purpose of TMS, which is distraction. It always help me to ask myself when I have TMS, "What am I trying to distract myself from?" I then use journaling techniques to help me figure that out.

So my advice to your friend is to not worry about how her TMS is expressing itself, but why does she have TMS.

Best wishes to you both.....

 

If there is still a question in her mind if she has TMS, and she can't find others with this particular "condition," then her best bet is to
---look at the reasons the medical community has given her to explain how this condition occurs, and find ways to question these supposed "causes"
---begin to inquire into the onset of symptoms such as an event in her life
---look at her life history for other TMS conditions
---observe to see how her experience of the symptoms might change with inner or outer changes, such as with more stress, more relaxation, location, etc. Does it get better or worse, when, how?
---look at list of 'evidence/prone to TMS' for any other ideas which she can examine her life with regards to "how can I be more sure this is TMS?"

Many people have used the approach above to understand their condition as TMS without any other cases to draw on. She may have to simply strengthen the case as best she can.

Good luck and keep us informed!

 

Hi @Benjiro, nice to see you!

For me, the bottom line is that every physical condition has a mindbody/psychophysiologic/psychogenic component. I don't care what it is, or whether the basis is a "real" condition.

I already knew this on some level when I crashed my bike and broke my femur in 2008, three years before I discovered Dr Sarno. I was freaking out in the ER and my pain was high - until the doc came in with my x-rays and said it was a simple fracture that could be pinned up and that I could be on crutches the next day. My pain immediately dropped so much that when they finally offered painkillers, I said a couple of ibuprofen would be fine. Which is all I ever took before and after the surgery, because my FEAR of being bedridden for weeks had disappeared.

Your friend must learn and accept that ALL physical sensations originate in the brain. And that we can ultimately control our brains by controlling our thoughts.

Mind you, it's not always easy! I certainly have my own challenges and difficult days, and I'm constantly amazed when I see how my brain goes automatically to certain negative ways of thinking or anticipating. But mostly I'm on to it, and can ultimately stop it. For most of us, it takes constant mindfulness and practice. But it can be done.

Do keep us posted!