The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face 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 conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
