Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays can be a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
