The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
