Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
