The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
