Are misophonia and ADHD the same thing?

While it’s possible for ADHD to occur comorbidly with misophonia, they are not the same thing.

The Mayo Clinic definition of ADHD:

“Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. “

While there isn’t a final definition of misophonia yet, the closest thing we have is a paper by some of the world’s leading misophonia researchers called the Consensus Definition of Misophonia.

Its General Description states:

“Misophonia is a disorder of decreased tolerance to specific sounds or stimuli associated with such sounds. These stimuli, known as “triggers,” are experienced as unpleasant or distressing and tend to evoke strong negative emotional, physiological, and behavioral responses that are not seen in most other people.”

Therefore, those with ADHD may experience sensory sensitivities, including misophonia, but they are two different co-occurring conditions.