Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine 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: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
