Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates seeing her family this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.