Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
