Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates seeing her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
