The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
