Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays is a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
