The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
