The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year can be a notably tough period as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
