Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
