Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states 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 notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. 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.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
