The Brief History of Misophonia and Sound Sensitivity
For people with misophonia, ordinary sounds can cause overwhelming distress—but the condition is still widely misunderstood. In The Brief History of Misophonia and Sound Sensitivity, Sharon Mousel-Burns brings together lived experience, research, and more than a decade of advocacy to explain how our understanding of misophonia has evolved. She traces the condition from early work on sensory integration and decreased sound tolerance through its emergence in neuroscience, psychology, and public awareness.
Along the way, she examines the fragmented state of misophonia research, the influence of funding, the risks of treatment claims that outpace the evidence, and the complex relationship between misophonia, autism, ADHD, and broader sensory sensitivity. She also shares her own experiences with triggers, grief, coping, and the long process of learning to understand her nervous system without shame.
Accessible to sufferers, families, clinicians, educators, and advocates, this book offers clarity without promising a cure and hope without minimizing the struggle.
Misophonia is real. The distress is real. And no one should have to face it without understanding, support, or a language for what they experience.
