The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, 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 difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
