Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
