The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
