Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine 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 sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
