Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
