Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
