Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
