Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
