Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, 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 dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
