Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives 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 the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
