Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
