The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.