Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
