Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. 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 slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
