Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, 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 young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
