Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas can be a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
