Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, 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 guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
