The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas 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 constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
