Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear 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 sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
