Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious 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 traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
