The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a notably tough season as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person 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. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
