The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.