The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough period as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at 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 shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
