Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
