The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises coming from other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. 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 competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
