The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
