Do Slurping Sounds Send You Into a Rage? There’s a Name for That

You’re out with friends at a fancy dinner you’ve been looking forward to for weeks. The lighting is soft and flattering, the conversation is joyful, and the wine is flowing. Everything feels just about perfect — until your friend orders a bowl of soup and starts slurping. And it sends you into a spiral.

If this has happened to you in the past, you could have misophonia. 

“Misophonia is a strong, often involuntary nervous system response to specific, repetitive sounds like chewing, tapping, water dripping, or breathing,” Dr. Sarah Anderson, who specializes in occupational therapy and contributes to Recovery.com, explained to Food & Wine. “These sounds can create intense emotional and physical reactions, like anxiety, rage, or a fight-or-flight response. It’s important to recognize that this isn’t just a personal preference or sensitivity — it can truly be debilitating and significantly impact one’s daily life.” 

Understanding just how triggering certain noises can be is challenging for those without misophonia. However, Carly Costello, a certified eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapist who lives with misophonia, explains that it can “cause a big reaction in someone, but it truly is a fight or flight response. For someone with misophonia, it feels like it’s out of their control.” 

It’s even harder to understand or get treatment for misophonia, as it is not recognized in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association. However, even though it’s not in the official manual, experts do acknowledge it as a treatable condition, with Dr. Jay Serle, a clinical psychologist, noting, “It may be related to other mental health conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder.” 

Researchers have, however, taken up the mission to shine more light on misophonia. In 2022, researchers published the paper “Consensus Definition of Misophonia” in the journal “Frontiers in Neuroscience” to determine “whether a committee of experts with diverse expertise related to misophonia could develop a consensus definition of misophonia.” After evaluating statements and conducting a systematic literature review, they arrived at a final definition of misophonia to “serve as an important step to bring cohesion to the growing field of researchers and clinicians who seek to better understand and support individuals experiencing misophonia.”

The study noted that the committee felt that the word “disorder” was the most accurate descriptor over “condition” or “syndrome” as it “correctly implicates the negative experience of individuals experiencing misophonia.” It settled on “Misophonia is a disorder of decreased tolerance to specific sounds or their associated stimuli that have been characterized using different language and methodologies.” 

There are also already treatments and tricks that experts recommend to help those with misophonia. “Sensory-based regulation techniques, like using noise-canceling/noise-dampening headphones or listening to background music, can help minimize exposure to or decrease the impact of the triggers,” Anderson shared. “Cognitive and somatic approaches — such as mindfulness, breathwork, and nervous system regulation techniques — can help shift the body’s response to triggering sounds.”

According to Anderson, some people also benefit from desensitization strategies, such as gradually “introducing trigger sounds in a controlled, safe way, often with the guidance of a highly trained professional,” including an occupational therapist, counselor, or psychologist.

As Dr. Ross Cushing, a board-certified clinical audiologist, noted, his field can play a significant role. “A multidisciplinary approach is usually the most effective way to manage misophonia. This means that an audiologist will provide audiological assessments and develop personalized sound therapy programs — masking, for example — to help reduce trigger sounds,” Cushing explained. He added that a psychologist can provide support through cognitive behavioral therapy because, ultimately, “the most relief comes from helping patients manage the emotional responses associated with the condition. The combined guidance of experts can really help in desensitizing people to their trigger sounds.” 

All this work can be worth it to those with misophonia to ensure they too can enjoy all the things those who don’t have it can — including listening to their slurping soup friends. 

“The development of supportive environments can make a big difference for someone with Misophonia. If eating sounds are a major trigger, choosing restaurants with ambient noise, playing music at the table, taking movement/sensory breaks, or using noise-dampening earbuds can help mask those sounds,” Anderson said, noting it’s a good idea to have an open conversation with close friends and family to let them know what’s challenging and worth together to find the right solutions.

“It’s all about finding ways to regulate the nervous system,” Anderson said, “while still staying connected to the people and experiences that matter.”