The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
