Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She says her condition is more pronounced 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 physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
