The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
