Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
