Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable 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 intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain 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. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
