Note that I do not have misophonia myself, and all information will be from sources listed in comments! -> This information was gathered early 2026 for a litter application ✒ᝰ ࣭ Part I - What is Misophonia? Despite not being officially recognised as a distinct disorder, misophonia is still recognised by experts. It is when someone has decreased tolerance to certain sounds and/or actions, like chewing and pen-clicking. These types of noises (and sometimes actions) usually trigger a sense of intense and overwhelming anger, anxiety and/or disgust. Some have many triggers, while others only have a few. Like many other disorders, misophonia affects different people differently, and some have more intense reactions than others. A common misconception is that, because misophonia literally means 'hatred of sound', they are only effected by repeated sounds. This is not the case, as some people are triggered by actions, such as as leg-swinging (As described by the official National Library of Medicine of America) or similar repetitive stimuli. It also isn't always negative emotions, and instead is an exaggerated response. Common responses include anger, annoyance, anxiety and a few others Scratch (annoyingly) won't let me list D:< (Negative emotions aren't bad words Scratch). There are other possible responses that are less common. ✒ᝰ ࣭ Part II - How can someone 'get' misophonia? Misophonia is believed to be typically caused by genetic factors and other disorders, and affects women more than men IRL, with around 1 in 5 people being affected by symptoms of this disorder at some point in their lives. People with misophonia can also have more connections in their brains, leading to many structural differences. A person's brain naturally associates certain triggers with certain emotions. (E.g. laughter with joy) ✒ᝰ ࣭ Part III - How can misophonia affect someone IRL? As mentioned above, a person's brain naturally associates certain sounds with certain emotions. However, with misophonia, it is an instinctive reaction to make the sound stop, and it can send someone into fight-or-flight. Each person has a different 'set' of triggers, and common ones include tapping fingers, chewing, the ticking of a clock and heavy breathing. (This is in no way a full list, just a few examples!!) People with misophonia react with something known as 'fight or flight'. These reactions can be emotional, physical or behavioural. Emotional reactions can include Anger, anxiety, and fear. Body reactions can include increases in blood pressure, goosebumps, and sweating. Behavioural reactions can include avoiding situations where trigger sounds can happen, leaving the area when a trigger sound happens, verbal or vocal reactions (such as yelling at who/what made the sound). These reactions can be both violent and non-violent, and violent reactions are rare. These happen as the body tries to decided whether to leave the situation (flight) or act against the situation (flight) or to stay in the situation and not do anything (freeze) Misophonia can worsen with age, though there isn't much research on this statement. It is also treatable, and many people with this condition may benefit from mental health therapy. ✒ᝰ ࣭ Part IV - How does misophonia affect Pierce? Pierce has multiple triggers, which include repeated tail flicking/swishing, loud wind, loud leaf rustling and heavy breathing. For her, she typically gets extremely irritated whenever her triggers appear in her daily, and tries her best to remain composed. She'll try to control the situation, usually by lashing out at the other cat, before leaving the situation. The more she considers the other cat as a 'background character', the more likely she is to lash out at them. At times, Pierce may even attack (though this is extremely rare). On windy days, Pierce will mostly be more on-edge about everything. She is extremely easily irritated on these days, and it is best not to interact with her much. Pierce will either intentionally hide away to avoid the sound of the wind or she'll plug her ears with bits of moss. Pierce's misophonia isn't too severe, and she is usually able to dismiss her symptoms. Luckily, it won't get worse as she gets older. Pierce believes her misophonia is also partially why she can be so descriptive with her emotional description of objects and settings, though that claim probably isn't true, and it is definitely just her trait of being observant. TLDR; - Not too severe - Won't worsen with age - Main reaction is irritation and annoyance as a result of dis(boo!)comfort - Triggers include repeated tail flicking/swishing, loud wind, loud leaf rustling and heavy breathing. ✒ᝰ ࣭ Music - Edelweiss from the Sound of Music Dis(boo!)comfort isn't a bad word Scratch T-T
