Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear 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 managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
