The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle 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 for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, 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 guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
