The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
