The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays is a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are 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 internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
