Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family 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 others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
