The Misophonia Podcast Adeel Ahmad

Marina is originally from Romania and now lives in the UK. Like many others who have been on the podcast recently, Marina only recently found out about misophonia and has been learning as much as she can and has been diving into the book Sounds Like Misophonia by Dr. Jane Gregory and I. We talk about the challenging environment of her childhood with an alcoholic father, there is mention of abuse in the home so I want to note a content warning. Her family life became quite strained due to thei...

Emily lives in a small town in Georgia. She only recently learned about misophonia and that others share the experience she has felt most of her life. This is the first time she’s spoken with another misophone about it. She recalls the earliest triggers she experienced as a child from her brothers, and how she tried to suppress her reactions. We talk about common triggers like whistling and bouncing basketballs. Emily shares her strategies for dealing with triggers, such as using headphones o...

Ben is from Kentucky and now lives and works in Indiana. This is the first time Ben has talked about misophonia and he shares a lifetime of experiences going back to his toddler years which had some very negative events and I want to just issue a content warning that there is some discussion of abuse at the hands of a babysitter. He discusses his early memories of being triggered by chewing gum and then the challenges growing up with misophonia, especially in quite male and sort of macho envi...

Jennifer is from North Carolina. We talk about her early memories from her toddler years. She talks about her journey of seeking therapy and eventually being diagnosed with ADHD, which provided some understanding and accommodations. We talk about the potential interplay between genetics, early childhood development, and trauma. How stress and cortisol levels may exacerbate symptoms, and even talk about her alopecia, which is related to stress. She shares her experiences with specific triggers...

Rosie is based in Newcastle and heard about the podcast from Newcastle-based misophonia researcher Paris Ash. She first noticed it as a teenager with the sound of her mom’s chewing, later expanded to include other people and sounds. She struggled with guilt and shame and felt misunderstood by her family. Rosie found support from her understanding sister and her partner, who create spaces where she feels safe. We talk about coping methods using headphones, avoiding triggers, and seeking unders...

Bahar is a screenwriter and filmmaker based in Iran who created the short film 'Quarantine Redemption’, a 13-minute musical comedy with no dialogue about misophonia in an apartment during the COVID pandemic. We talk about her interest in exploring sound and psychology in her work. She explains that while she doesn't have misophonia herself, she believes that sound plays a significant role in everyday life and emotions. The film follows a man who suffers from misophonia and finds solace in mus...