Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
