Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. 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 create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
