Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
