Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
