The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
