Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
