Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, 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 overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
