The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing 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 managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers 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 withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
