Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful 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 obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
