Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts found a significant portion of 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.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
