Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, 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 ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
