Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar 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 uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
