Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.