The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear 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 constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish 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 begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
