Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid 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 constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
