Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. 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 season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
