Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives 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 ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique 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 culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
