Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful 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 enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
