Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.