A Very Brief History of Misophonia Conferences

In February, 2013, the Tinnitus Practitioners Association held the 1st International Misophonia Conference in Phoenix. It was attended by audiologists (and two psychotherapists, including me) who had an interest in learning about this relatively recently defined disorder, known as Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome (4S), or Misophonia. The 2nd Conference was held in Feb 2014 in Atlanta, and the 3rd in Feb 2015 was back in Phoenix. Each time, the professionals in attendance shared their knowledge with each other and explored advances in understanding this condition and current treatment options.

In October, 2013, the first ever meeting of misophonia patients and families was held in Portland in a local church building. This gathering of 55 brave souls was an amazing experience for all present — presenters, family members, and misophonics. To be a person triggered by the sounds of other people, in a room with other people, seemed impossible! But it was an emotional, educational, and wonderful connecting experience for all present. Everyone was extremely careful about sounds, and we went out of the way to provide quiet snacks (the famous VooDoo Donuts were a big hit)!

In Oct 2014, we expanded to 125 people in a large hotel in Orlando with a huge waterfall in the lobby. We had 8 presenters, including two overseas skyping in. These were just about the only people working in the field at the time. There was time for each presenter to do at least two sessions, plus breakout groups for parents, teens, etc. Widex kindly brought in sound generators for people to try out during sessions.

Which brings us to Oct 2015. In the past couple of years, the amount of research has begun to expand tremendously. This year’s meeting will be in Chicago, with about 15 speakers presenting the most recent research and information available, several being articles they have had published in professional journals. We hope to have even more participants this year than last, and to continue to offer opportunities for miso patients and families to connect with others.

When we first started doing these gatherings, there was almost nowhere for people with misophonia to connect with others. Now there are several online places (notably the SoundSensitivity yahoo group and the many Facebook groups), so there are many more opportunities for families to ask questions and share info. Some groups have facilitated small gatherings in their local areas. Still, the convention is a central place to meet, learn, and expand connections. We are excited about this year’s program, and hope to meet many of our online friends there in person. Registration is at www.misophonia-association.org, deadline is Sept 17!

Looking ahead: Oct 2016 – Southern California; Oct 2017 – maybe the UK?? Help is needed in the planning, so let us know if you have a little time to contribute.