Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
