Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
