Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her family this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
