Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
