Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
