The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
