The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
