Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
