Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing 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 really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
