Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
