The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
