Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
