The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates seeing her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, 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.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. 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 fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
