Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
