Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
