The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, 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, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
