Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. A study discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
