Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
