Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
