Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
