Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
