Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives 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 ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. 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 why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
