Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises made by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. 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 challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
