The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
