If certain sounds cause you an extremely negative reaction, such as anger, annoyance or even panic, know that you may be suffering from misophonia.
These sounds may vary from person to person: dragging, swallowing, breathing loudly, smacking lips, chewing, sniffing or even the snapping of pens and rustling of papers.
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But no matter which sound bothers you in particular, it will always evoke a strong emotional reaction within you.
The fact is that misophonia is a real problem that many people face on a daily basis when exposed to these specific noises, usually produced by specific individuals.
It is not by chance that Eric Storch, professor of psychology at Baylor College of Medicine and specialist in misophonia, warns that this condition can significantly affect people's quality of life.
How to deal with misophonia
Although there is little research on the subject, it is a fact that simply avoiding triggering sounds is not effective and can make the situation worse.
According to Storch, the more you avoid it, the more you distance yourself from the world. Therefore, it is important to reframe the sound to make it less emotionally impactful.
In addition, the expert indicates focusing on the importance of being present at an event, even if there are associated triggering sounds.
How to reframe the sounds
To reframe the triggering sound, a very effective strategy is to think of similar sounds that don't carry as much emotional charge.
For example, instead of associating the sound of someone chewing with something negative, you could imagine the sound of boots treading on snow or even a child chewing. This technique can considerably reduce the emotional impact caused by noise.
The second strategy is to actively participate in meaningful activities, such as a family dinner, even in the presence of triggering sounds.
The idea is to develop skills to deal with these situations and face them together with a set of strategies to help manage anxiety, as well as the practice of completely avoiding these moments important.
