The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious 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 easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
