Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates seeing her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
