The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
