Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
