The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
