Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
