Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
