Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, 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 dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
