Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
She has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- 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 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 shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
