Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
