The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates seeing her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging period as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
