Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
