General Health and Wellness

It is almost a universal observation among my patients that when they are feeling good, triggers don’t bother them as much as when they are feeling bad. Their general level of health and wellness is inversely related to the severity of their misophonia. This is not to say that someone who has excellent health and wellness cannot have extremely severe misophonia – they can. But it says that for any person with misophonia, when they feel bad, their misophonia is worse.

Some find that even moderate alcohol consumption makes their misophonia worse the next day. Others find a similar effect from eating too many sweets or carbs. I have seen the question posted on a Facebook group regarding the effect of a particular food on misophonia. If there is a food that your body does not tolerate well, then that food will make your misophonia worse. If you are lactose intolerant, then drinking milk will make your misophonia worse. If you have a slight allergy to gluten, then eating wheat products will make your misophonia worse. But you should not expect that because one person stopped eating carrots and their misophonia improved, that the same effect will work for you.  Even so, there are some individuals who have reported very significant improvement in their misophonia because they have tried a particular diet, so consider your health, eating habits, and decide if this could be beneficial for you.

In general, the things that make a person feel better, like regular exercise, good sleep, a balanced diet, and so forth, will improve your misophonia. Take good care of yourself. You will improve your health and reduce your misophonia. It is a double benefit.

There was an interesting comment on a Facebook group by a person who had a significant improvement in her misophonia after taking a magnesium supplement. Many others reported trying magnesium supplements in various dosages, but it had no effect on their misophonia. Correspondence with the person who made the initial post revealed that she also suffered from chronic pain due to a complication from a broken leg. The magnesium supplement minimized her chronic pain, and when the pain was greatly reduced, her misophonia was also greatly reduced. It is likely that the magnesium supplement worked directly on her leg pain, and the reduction in pain decreased her misophonia.

Remember that misophonia includes a physical reflex. If her physical reflex jerked her body and caused a bit of pain, then reducing that pain source would greatly reduce the severity of her misophonia. I had a similar experience with my wife when she had chronic back pain. When I was driving the car, any little bump would cause her pain, and I heard about it (to say it nicely). Once her back felt better, she did not “appreciate” the bumps of the car, but they were no longer a big deal.