The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year can be a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. 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 somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
