Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
