Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, 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 easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
