The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
