Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
She has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- 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 an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
