The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements 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 assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, 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 melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
