Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of 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 a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
