Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
