Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
