Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"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 somehow control these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
