Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.