Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"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 washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, 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 is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
