Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her family this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than 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: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
