Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
