Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear 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 really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"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 some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
