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Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
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