Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study found almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this 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 challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. 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 a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
