The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed 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 difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
