Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
