Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her family this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas is a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, 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 avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
