Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, 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 the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
