Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
