Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason 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 could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
