Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping 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: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
