The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays is a notably tough season as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
