The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
