Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For 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 active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
