Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates seeing her family during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives 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 guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.