The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread 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 really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
