Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
