The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
