The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, 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 unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
