Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
