Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
