The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
