Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has experienced this condition for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
