Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
