Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
