The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
