Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
