The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, 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 dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture 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 challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
