Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those coming from other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful 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 internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
