Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
