The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
