The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, 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 make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
