Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
