Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
