Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
