Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear 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 make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
