Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, 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 everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
