The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays 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 make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
