The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those produced by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced 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 experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
