Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those coming from individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. 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 the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
