Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates seeing her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you 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 teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
