Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
