Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
