The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. 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.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
