Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
