The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
