The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year is a notably tough period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"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 Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
