Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
