Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of 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: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
