Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas 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 upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind 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 attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
