Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
