Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
