Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze 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 Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
