The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
