Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, 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 make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
