Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
