SEQUENT REPATTERNING THERAPY – FOR MISOPHONIA

 

Misophonia (also called Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome) is a recognised condition in which the sufferer may develop a hypersensitivity to everyday noises, most common examples of these sounds are sniffing, breathing, eating, cutlery on crockery sounds, and many more. Often, family members are the biggest triggers.  Sufferers may also experience the same emotional reactions to visual and tactile triggers.  

Sufferers of Misophonia can produce negative and emotional reactions ranging from anger,disgust, fear, panic, the desire to flee, or even the desire to do serious harm to someone to certain everyday sounds that have little or no impact on non- sufferers.  People with this condition often end up alienating the people they are closest to. Children have difficulty attending school, family meals and other functions; they can become anxious and depressed.

Life for a person with Misophonia can be extremely challenging and isolating, as they navigate each day trying to avoid trigger sounds or sights.

I am qualified in Sequent Repatterning Therapy (SRT), a method proven to reduce the impact of triggers for sufferers.The sessions run weekly, over an 8- week period, and can be conducted in person or over VSee (a free video conferencing application, not unlike but more secure than, Skype).

Misophonia has generally been treated as a phobia by many therapists. Because of the physical reflex of misophonia, it has been impossible for individuals with misophonia to ignore or not respond to trigger stimuli. Actually, the misophonic person is responding to the combination of the sound and the physical sensation caused by the physical reflex. We can ignore sounds, but we cannot ignore the physical jolt or sensation of the reflex.

Sequent Repattering Therapy (SRT) is generally effective because it allows a person to feel the physical sensation of the misophonic reflex while not having the emotional response. The context of a physical sensation can have a great effect on the emotional response. If a nurse in the doctor’s office sticks you with a needle, you can stay completely calm. But if a person walks up to you and sticks you with a straight pin, then we can almost guarantee that you will have a strong emotional response. SRT builds a strong calming response over a series of sessions and then teaches the patient to respond to the physical sensation with the calming response rather than anger. As shown below, SRT disconnects the emotional response from the physical reflex and creates a positive emotional response to the physical reflex.

The SRT treatment is a series of five treatment steps that usually require up to eight hypnotherapy sessions. Steps one, two, and three build the emotional stability and strength of the individual, and develops a calm reflex. Step four disconnects the emotional misophonic response from the physical reflex and replaces it with the calm reflex. Because almost all misophonic individuals have the same physical reflex for all of their triggers, this step reduces the emotional response for all triggers. Step five of the process works to disconnect the physical reflex from the trigger stimulus. This step requires addressing each trigger individually. 

 

Successful SRT treatment can be accomplished by completing the first four of five steps. This disconnects the miso-emotional response from the physical reflex. A small percentage of individuals respond to the final step of SRT treatment and actually stop having the physical reflex response to triggers. Still, reducing the misophonic severity from moderate to mild or severe to mild is a significant positive benefit for anyone with misophonia.

 

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    Leeds, LS15 7HA

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