The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting 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 enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
