Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
