The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
