Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
