The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. 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 triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
