Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas is a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish 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 panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.