The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her family 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 her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. 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 quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
