Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
