Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
