Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
