The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want 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 anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
