Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
