Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
