What it is:

Misophonia is a condition characterized by low tolerance to specific sounds (e.g., eating) or stimuli associated with those sounds (e.g., watching someone chew their food). Teens with misophonia report intense physiological (e.g., increased heart rate, muscle tension) and emotional (most often anger and anxiety) responses to specific sounds. They report that a wide array of sounds can produce misophonic reactions, with the most common sounds being eating- and breathing-related noises.

While not formally recognized as a medical or psychiatric diagnosis, misophonia can cause a great deal of distress and impairment: teens with misophonia are often embarrassed by their reactions, find themselves avoiding situations where they believe they may encounter misophonic sounds, or cope in ways that are not helpful in the long-term (e.g., yelling at people to stop making noises, refusing to eat with the family).