The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
