The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her family this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.