Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
