Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
