Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, 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.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
