Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, 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 ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
