Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her family over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. 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.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect 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 the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
