Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
