The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
