Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas is a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
