Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, 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 lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
