The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
