The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, 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 the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- 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 joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
