The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone 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 at their best or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
