Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. 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. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
