Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.