Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, 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.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.