The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful 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 enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping 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 make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
