Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her family this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
