The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
