Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
