Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.