The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
