The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays can be a notably tough period as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
