The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting 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 teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.