Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her relatives over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year is a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
