The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique 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 making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
