Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
