Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation 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. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
