Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
