If You’re Sensitive To People Fidgeting Around You, It Can Cause Negative Emotions And Relationship Stress
No matter how much you like someone, whether platonically or romantically, they’re bound to have habits that get on your nerves.
You may hate how loudly your partner chews at meals, for instance, or how your friend tends to tap their fingernails on tables during conversation.
Yet, for people with misokinesia, these seemingly common annoyances can become major problems.
Misokinesia, also known as the “hatred of movements,” is a psychological phenomenon that refers to individuals’ intolerance of fidgeting and other repetitive body movements.
Seeing these small movements, such as tapping your foot, bouncing your pen, or twirling your hair, has been found to cause severe distress among those with misokinesia.
More recently, a study conducted by researchers from the United States and Canada revealed that this sensitivity to fidgeting can result in significant negative emotions and reactions that could strain personal relationships.
“Misokinesia, the reduced tolerance to others’ repetitive bodily movements, impacts individuals’ personal, social, and professional lives,” the study authors wrote.
“The present study aimed to elucidate the factors contributing to Misokinesia Sensitivity (MKS) by exploring the subjective experiences of affected individuals, thereby guiding future empirical research and informing clinical awareness.”
A total of 21 participants from a Facebook support group were interviewed for the research. Using a thematic analysis approach, the researchers pinpointed patterns and themes experienced by those living with this condition.
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The participants cited feeling irritation, anxiety, and anger after witnessing repetitive fidgeting, like nail biting. Some even experienced such intense reactions that they found it tough to concentrate and continue interacting socially.
“My ability to focus is gone. I have no ability to ignore or disregard the sound or motion. I am unable to stay present,” one participant said.
“I experience a fixation, like a hyper-fixation, on the noise or the motion. The sound gets louder in my head, or the motion becomes the only thing I can focus on,” another participant shared.
This loss of focus and patience can prove especially challenging in academic and professional environments, as well as in social ones.
Many participants also reported extreme emotional reactions to triggering movements, some of which resulted in violent urges.
“I experience a general rage when I see someone fidget even though I am very, very much not an ‘angry’ type of person,” a participant explained.
“I start wishing with all my might that they’ll stop. I do have images or ‘fantasies’ of that person being physically hurt by either myself or something,” stated another.
In terms of physical reactions, those with misokinesia were said to sustain elevated heart rate and blood pressure, shaking, sweating, and adrenaline bursts.
According to the study, the impact of MKS extends beyond casual social interactions and can make maintaining long-term romantic relationships very difficult. Not only are those with misokinesia triggered by some of their partners’ behaviors, but communicating their condition may also prove tough.
“My relationships are affected the most because it’s a weird thing to explain, and it won’t make sense to someone who doesn’t have it,” a participant detailed.
The same was found for familial relationships, with one participant saying, “I don’t really tell people anymore. It feels embarrassing. I don’t tell my family about most of my visual triggers because I don’t want them to feel uncomfortable by just existing in the same house as me.”
Some participants discussed how their friends and family members had shown positive support and understanding upon learning about their triggers. Nonetheless, this wasn’t the case for all participants, and some felt their condition was misunderstood or dismissed.
The researchers noted that misokinesia isn’t well known or understood, and the lack of education can make coping with it even more difficult among those affected. They suggest that greater awareness may aid the development of coping strategies and the improvement of interpersonal relationships for those struggling with misokinesia.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in PLOS ONE, visit the link here.
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