The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises produced by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me 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 guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
