The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas is a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
