The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
