Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
