Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: 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, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
