The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face 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 aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
