The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her family during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn 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 eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of 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: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
