Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
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 want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
