Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
