Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
