Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
