What is misophonia? 你聽說過 “恐音癥” 嗎？

雖然我們大多數人不會對日常生活中的一些聲音異常敏感，比如咀嚼聲或呼吸聲。但對於恐音癥患者來說，這些簡單的聲音就足以讓他們怒發沖天。本文介紹什麼是 “misophonia（恐音癥）”。

詞匯：misophonia 恐音癥

There are some sounds most of us acknowledge are irritating – the crunching of crisps, the humming of the air conditioning or a screaming baby. These noises, for many people, act as a mere inconvenience that can distract us from the task at hand. However, there are some amongst us who have a much more severe response to these noises. The question we ask today is: has a noise ever made you feel so angry that you could explode with rage? If the answer is yes, you may be suffering from misophonia.

The word ‘misophonia’ literally means ‘a hatred of sound’ and is sometimes called Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome. There are some experts who doubt the existence of the condition. However, for those who claim to suffer from it, the experience can be traumatic. Certain sounds trigger intense emotional or psychological responses that may seem over the top compared with a non-sufferer’s complaints.

The sound of a loved one chewing their food could trigger a sufferer’s anxiety levels, or cause them to panic. It may even activate their fight-or-flight reflexes, making them want to flee. In extreme cases, that feeling of panic may result in intense bouts of fury and end up with sufferers going berserk.

Sadly, there’s no known cure. Tinnitus retraining therapy, which helps people tolerate noises, may aid sufferers, while cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling could also help people manage the condition. According to James Cartreine, a clinical psychiatrist, the condition can lead to isolation. Sufferers use coping strategies that include avoiding places with lots of noises, like restaurants, or moving away when they feel like lashing out at someone due to their breathing.

So, the next time you see someone fly into a rage because of a sound that is driving them crazy, it may be due to a difficult condition they are trying to manage, and not just because they loathe a certain sound.

詞匯表

irritating 令人厭煩的
crunching 嘎吱地咬嚼聲
humming 嗡嗡聲
screaming 尖叫的

noise 噪音
rage 暴怒，狂怒
hatred 憎恨
Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome 選擇性聲音敏感綜合癥
traumatic 造成精神創傷的，痛苦難忘的
trigger 引起
anxiety 焦慮，不安
panic 使…驚慌
fight-or-flight 戰鬥或逃跑，或戰或退

fury 狂怒
berserk 發狂的，暴跳如雷的
lash out 發怒，斥責
drive somebody crazy 使某人發瘋、惱怒
loathe 憎恨，厭惡

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. What can annoying noises do to non-sufferers?

2. What does misophonia mean literally?

3. True or false? Sufferers’ reactions are exaggerated.

4. What things can possibly ease the suffering of misophonia?

5. What are some coping strategies?

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. My uncle _______ at me when I told him to stop complaining.

lashed out rage loathe berserk

2. That sound really _______ my anxiety.

rages berserks triggers lashes out

3. I got really _______ by what he said.

irritating irritated irritates irritate

4. David went _______ at the restaurant last night because they forgot his order.

rage berserk panic loathe

5. Don’t _______! Everything is going to be alright.

panic panicked panics panicking

答案

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. What can annoying noises do to non-sufferers?
Annoying noises can cause slight annoyance to non-sufferers and distract them from a task at hand.

2. What does misophonia mean literally?
It means ‘a hatred of sound’.

3. True or false? Sufferers’ reactions are exaggerated.
False. The reactions may seem over the top compared with a non-sufferer’s complaints about a noise.

4. What things can possibly ease the suffering of misophonia?
Tinnitus retraining therapy, which helps people tolerate noises, may aid sufferers, while cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling could also aid managing the condition.

5. What are some coping strategies?
Avoiding places with lots of noises like restaurants, or moving away when you feel your anger rising at the sound of someone chewing.

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. My uncle lashed out at me when I told him to stop complaining.

2. That sound really triggers my anxiety.