ST. LOUIS - June 13, 2025 - soQuiet, a nonprofit misophonia advocacy organization, announced that the first annual World Misophonia Awareness Day will take place on July 9, 2025. Misophonia is currently thought of as a neurophysiological disorder marked by abnormally upsetting reactions to certain everyday sounds and, often, other sensory input associated with those sounds. People affected by misophonia instantly have an extreme reaction that is disproportionate to the level of the actual sound. Studies show that about 5% of the population has impactful misophonia, making it more common than OCD, Tourette's Syndrome, or bipolar disorder.
The event will be presented by soQuiet, the Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation (CMER), the Misophonia Research Network (MRN), the Misophonia Research Fund, and many other organizations from across the world.
One of the biggest challenges for people with misophonia is finding a medical professional who knows about it and understands its many facets. While awareness of misophonia grows among the general population, clinicians might not know the word and how to recognize the disorder in their patients.
“Misophonia is complicated,” said Cris Edwards, Founder of soQuiet. "The multi-sensory aversion disorder is frequently misunderstood. Like any other condition, it’s not a matter of preferences; it’s involuntary. Almost any noise can cause unexpected suffering for people with this disorder. Misophonia is tough to understand, and it can be disabling if it prevents people from doing typical activities in life. If you have not experienced misophonia, it is not easy to get a clear idea of what living with misophonia feels like, which makes it tough to seek help.”
People with misophonia suffer from an instant reaction to the sounds of, as examples, someone chewing gum, tapping a foot or pencil, whistling or sniffling, the loud hum of truck engines, and many other noises.
In 2022, numerous academic researchers of misophonia created and published a consensus definition of misophonia which described it as, “Misophonia presents as decreased tolerance to specific sounds or stimuli, known as 'triggers.' The sounds are experienced as unpleasant or distressing, and tend to evoke strong negative emotional, physiological, and behavioral responses that are not seen in most other people.”
The condition can affect all aspects of life, including school, work, relationships, and daily interactions. Scientific literature says that misophonia involves not only auditory activators but also visual elements and other sensations.
Without a known treatment or cure yet, people whose lives are impacted by misophonia tend to avoid common situations and isolate themselves to cope. They often also suffer in silence because they are embarrassed to speak to medical professionals or bring it up with acquaintances, fearing being misunderstood or dismissed.
Edwards added, “We are collaborating with other organizations globally for this awareness day. This year we are focusing on getting medical professionals more aware of misophonia. We hope to partner with clinicians such as pediatricians, therapists, school counselors and psychologists, who might not be aware of misophonia and its complex traits. As part of the awareness day, we are all hoping to give them tools to recognize misophonia, and how to work with people who have it.”
For more information, visit https://www.misophoniaday.com/ and www.soQuiet.org
Socials: @soquietorg
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Website: https://www.misophoniaday.com/
