Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
