Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
