Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt 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 shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
