Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study reported almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.