Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
