Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
