Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element 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 having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
