The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
