Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts found almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.