Does the Safe and Sound Protocol help with Misophonia?
Are you living with misophonia? Then you know how tough this can be. Ordinary sounds like smacking, breathing or the tapping of a pen can throw you completely off balance. You sometimes feel trapped in your own body when you hear these "trigger sounds.
Many therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy often do not help enough. Therefore, it is good that new treatments are being researched. One promising method is the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP).
What is the Safe and Sound Protocol?
The Safe and Sound Protocol is a listening therapy developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. It is based on his Polyvagal Theory of how our nervous system works.
Therapy uses specially filtered music to help your middle ear work better. By emphasizing certain tones in the music, the muscles in your middle ear are stimulated. This activates an important part of your nervous system that provides calm and safety.
Why might the SSP help with misophonia?
With misophonia, your body overreacts to certain sounds. When you hear a trigger sound, you shoot into a "fight-or-flight" response. This causes intense emotions such as anger or fear.
The Polyvagal Theory suggests that this reaction comes from a disrupted regulation of your nervous system. The SSP is designed precisely to help restore this system. That makes it logical to try with misophonia.
Initial results are hopeful
The Misophonia Institute did a small study on the effect of the SSP in misophonia. Although the study was small, the results were promising.
Six people with misophonia listened to filtered music for five days, 30 minutes a day. Results:
- All six reported fewer misophonia complaints after the program
- Five of the six showed marked improvement on the questionnaires
- Participants responded less violently to their trigger sounds
- Some slept better and felt less anxiety
The best part was that the improvement persisted. On subsequent calls, most participants still had less discomfort, indicating long-term benefits.
How does the SSP work in misophonia?
The science behind the SSP in misophonia revolves around the cooperation between your hearing and nervous system. With misophonia, the amygdala (the emotion center in your brain) is often overactive.
The SSP works in three ways:
- It improves the function of your middle ear muscles, which help filter sounds
- It calms your nervous system
- It enhances your sense of security, which is important when you feel threatened by noises
This may cause your body to react less violently to trigger sounds.
Is the SSP suitable for everyone with misophonia?
Although the results are positive, the SSP may not work equally well for everyone. Misophonia is complex and is often linked to other symptoms such as anxiety, ADHD or other sound processing problems.
Factors that may affect how well SSP works:
- How severe your misophonia is
- How long you have been suffering from it
- Whether you also have other complaints
- Your overall health and stress level
Personal experiences with the SSP
In addition to research, personal stories often tell more. Many people who tried the SSP for their misophonia share similar experiences:
"For the first time in years, I can sit in the same room as my partner while he eats without panicking. It's like there's a filter between the sound and my reaction to it." - A participant in the study
Another wrote, "The change didn't come right away, but after about a week I noticed that my trigger noises scared me less. They were still there, but my body no longer reacted as violently. It was as if someone had lowered the volume of my anxiety."
These experiences show that the SSP does not completely eliminate misophonia, but it can reduce the severity of your reactions. This makes daily life more bearable.
Future research
The Misophonia Institute's small study is just the beginning. More large-scale research is needed to prove how well the SSP works and for whom it is best.
Future research will likely focus on:
- Comparing the SSP to other treatments.
- Predicting who will benefit most from the SSP
- Develop special protocols for misophonia
- Examining the long-term effects
Our approach: long-term access for lasting results
We offer 12 months access to the SSP so you can repeat it 3-4 times. This ensures stronger and lasting results in most cases. In the study above, the program was completed only once.
Resources
- Misophonia Institute. Safe and Sound Protocol for Misophonia Pilot Study.
- Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation.
- Jastreboff, M. M., & Jastreboff, P. J. (2014). Treatments for decreased sound tolerance.
- Brout, J. J., et al. (2018). Investigating misophonia: A review of the empirical literature.
- Integrated Listening Systems. Safe and Sound Protocol.
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