Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
