The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her relatives this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
