Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"There's this wave 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 noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds 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 mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
