The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up 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 makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
