Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
