Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
