Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year can be a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
