Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting 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 crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
