Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
