The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study found nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of 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 a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.