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 key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of 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.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
