Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas is a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
