Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
