Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her family during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by using her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation 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 stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.