Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. 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 time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
