Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
