Thanksgiving came and went in a blur. I am very thankful for the support of my friends and family through the years of my many moves cross-country and especially through my struggles with misophonia. I am so very grateful for everyone's support - especially with respect to a condition that not many people know about or understand. It is your compassion that makes this daily struggle in a sensory intense world more bearable to me and for that, I am eternally grateful.
It may seem like I'm making a big deal out of something that is akin to the "golden rule" of treating others as you'd want be treated yourself but you'd be surprised how many people would sooner be a bully and use knowledge of a person's sensitivities as a means to torment that person rather than offer sympathy.
It's why stories like what I'm about to share really hit home to me. A friend who also has misophonia recently posted an article in the New York Post about a woman with misophonia who committed suicide because she was overwhelmed by a world full of triggers. (http://nypost.com/2016/11/16/every-day-noises-drove-this-historian-to-suicide/). It may be a difficult article to read, but if you really want to understand how traumatic this condition is, I recommend that you try. Here was a successful, well-educated woman whose misophonia affected her marriage, her health, and her life.
For those who know me and know my mother committed suicide, I don't want you to worry. The worst misophonia attack I've ever had happened at the beginning of this month, and it mainly manifested as my tearing up during a workshop as I was overwhelmed with triggers in a situation where I did not want to remove myself; but I've never gotten to the point of ever considering taking my life. For me, misophonia triggers started to make me become a recluse in my own home, which was not entirely trigger-free - especially when you consider my "baby," a bird who whines for attention when he's not on my shoulder. (The one trigger at home that will push me to the point of leaving the house). Lately, I've been working very hard to force myself out of my "comfort zone" at home or the office to be more social and meet new people.
I sympathize with the woman in the article though. It's hard to live in a world that seems to attack any semblance of comfort. It's forced me to be proactive about avoiding triggers however I can - whether by using earplugs, earbuds, or avoiding situations altogether. I may not always be successful, but this goes back to my original comment about being thankful for my friends and family who look out for my comfort. It may not seem like a big deal when we go to a restuarant and you wait to see where I want to sit, but believe me... That little gesture means more to me than you'll ever know. :-)
It may seem like I'm making a big deal out of something that is akin to the "golden rule" of treating others as you'd want be treated yourself but you'd be surprised how many people would sooner be a bully and use knowledge of a person's sensitivities as a means to torment that person rather than offer sympathy.
It's why stories like what I'm about to share really hit home to me. A friend who also has misophonia recently posted an article in the New York Post about a woman with misophonia who committed suicide because she was overwhelmed by a world full of triggers. (http://nypost.com/2016/11/16/every-day-noises-drove-this-historian-to-suicide/). It may be a difficult article to read, but if you really want to understand how traumatic this condition is, I recommend that you try. Here was a successful, well-educated woman whose misophonia affected her marriage, her health, and her life.
For those who know me and know my mother committed suicide, I don't want you to worry. The worst misophonia attack I've ever had happened at the beginning of this month, and it mainly manifested as my tearing up during a workshop as I was overwhelmed with triggers in a situation where I did not want to remove myself; but I've never gotten to the point of ever considering taking my life. For me, misophonia triggers started to make me become a recluse in my own home, which was not entirely trigger-free - especially when you consider my "baby," a bird who whines for attention when he's not on my shoulder. (The one trigger at home that will push me to the point of leaving the house). Lately, I've been working very hard to force myself out of my "comfort zone" at home or the office to be more social and meet new people.
I sympathize with the woman in the article though. It's hard to live in a world that seems to attack any semblance of comfort. It's forced me to be proactive about avoiding triggers however I can - whether by using earplugs, earbuds, or avoiding situations altogether. I may not always be successful, but this goes back to my original comment about being thankful for my friends and family who look out for my comfort. It may not seem like a big deal when we go to a restuarant and you wait to see where I want to sit, but believe me... That little gesture means more to me than you'll ever know. :-)
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