Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
