Misophonia Test

Take this quiz to find out if you show the signs.

Most of us can’t stand the sound of nails on a chalkboard. But if you have misophonia, you might be more than annoyed—instead, you might feel sick, enraged, or panicked.

Misophonia is a disorder that triggers intense reactions to specific sounds. Wondering if you might have this condition? Answer a few questions, and we’ll help you get clarity.

Illustration of someone covering their ears to muffle the sound of someone tapping their fingers.

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Questions Overview

1. Do you believe there are certain sounds that we should all just try to avoid causing? (For instance, smacking lips, chewing with your mouth open, nails on a chalkboard, etc.)
  1. Absolutely—there are a lot of them!
  2. Yes, definitely a few.
  3. Eh, maybe a few.
  4. Not at all.
2. “I find myself getting really annoyed at people for making certain noises.”
  1. Totally true.
  2. Kind of true.
  3. Kind of false.
  4. Definitely false.
3. “People who make noises that annoy me are selfish or bad-mannered.”
  1. Definitely true.
  2. Mostly true.
  3. Mostly false.
  4. Definitely false.
4. Do you feel like you tend to react much more strongly to certain sounds than other people do?
  1. Yes, for sure.
  2. Yeah, sometimes.
  3. Not really.
  4. Not at all.
5. Do you ever feel like the way you react to specific sounds makes you unlikable or difficult to be around?
  1. Yes, a lot of the time.
  2. Yes, sometimes.
  3. No, not really.
  4. Not at all.
6. Do you ever feel like you can’t control your emotions when you hear certain noises?
  1. Yes, constantly.
  2. Yes, sometimes.
  3. No, not really.
  4. No, not at all.
7. Do you ever feel like you can’t control your behavior when you hear certain sounds?
  1. Yes, very often.
  2. Yes, sometimes.
  3. No, not often.
  4. No, never.
8. “The way I react to certain sounds makes me think I must be a very angry person inside.”
  1. Definitely true.
  2. Mostly true.
  3. Mostly false.
  4. Definitely false.
9. Have you missed out on opportunity because of your reaction to certain sounds?
  1. Yes, for sure.
  2. Yeah, a couple times.
  3. Not really.
  4. No, never.
10. Do you find yourself avoiding socializing with friends because they make noises you can’t stand?
  1. Yes, often.
  2. Yeah, sometimes.
  3. Not really.
  4. Not at all.
11. Are there any places you’d love to go or events you’d love to attend, but don’t because you’re not sure how the sound will affect you?
  1. Yes, there are a lot.
  2. Yeah, a few.
  3. Not really.
  4. No, none at all.
12. Have you ever become physically aggressive in an attempt to get a certain noise to stop?
  1. Yes, often.
  2. Yeah, now and then.
  3. Not really.
  4. No, never.
13. Do you ever shout at people to get them to stop making certain unbearable noises?
  1. Yes, all the time.
  2. Yeah, sometimes.
  3. Not really.
  4. No, never.
14. Do you ever worry your reactions to sounds will isolate you and keep you from doing typical, everyday things?
  1. Yes, I really do.
  2. Yeah, a bit.
  3. Not really.
  4. Not at all.

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More About Misophonia

What is misophonia?
Misophonia is a condition in which specific sounds trigger a person’s fight-or-flight response and cause exceptionally intense physiological or psychological reactions. If you have misophonia, your emotions upon hearing a certain sound might be so overwhelming that they’re difficult to control. Though misophonia is not officially recognized as a disorder (yet!), many medical experts recognize it as one.

Symptoms of Misophonia
Common symptoms of misophonia include:

  • Emotional reactions:
    • Fear
    • Anxiety
    • Irritability
    • Disgust
    • Anger
  • Physiological reactions
    • Increased blood pressure
    • Chest tightness
    • Goosebumps
    • Increased heart rate
    • Sweating
  • Behavioral reactions:
    • Avoiding environments or situations where you might hear trigger sounds
    • Leaving an area when you hear a trigger sound
    • Non-violent or violent action to make the sound stop

What triggers misophonia?
Common trigger sounds for misophonia include what many of us might consider generally unpleasant sounds: chewing food noisily, heavy breathing, clicking a pen, smacking lips, water dripping, nails on a chalkboard, etc. But for someone with misophonia, the emotional response to these noises is beyond what most people would consider reasonable.

However, misophonia exists on a spectrum: some people may have strong reactions only to one specific sound, like water dripping, while others may feel emotionally triggered by many different types of sounds. Some people may have intense emotional responses to sounds they dislike, but be able to control them; others may not be able to control how they react to triggering sounds—they may not even be able to be in certain environments or specific areas where they might hear a triggering noise. In rare cases, misophonia can cause violent reactions.

What causes misophonia?
Misophonia is relatively common, affecting approximately 1 in 5 people throughout their lifetime, and it can affect anybody, but it seems to be more common in women. Experts are unsure what exactly causes misophonia, but they believe it’s a combination of brain structure differences, other conditions that may cause misophonia (like neurodivergence, certain mental health conditions, and certain hearing-related conditions), and/or family history or genetics.

Treatment for Misophonia
Treatment for misophonia involves:

  • Learning to identify your trigger sounds
  • Exploring ways to minimize or prevent trigger sounds or reactions to them
  • Developing coping strategies to avoid impulsive responses to triggering noises
  • Reducing sensitivity to triggering noises

Additionally, treating any conditions that may be causing misophonia can help alleviate symptoms of misophonia too. If you believe you’re struggling with misophonia, reach out to a mental health professional: they’ll be able to explore treatment options with you so you can navigate a path forward.

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