The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, 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 sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, 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 willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
