Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
