Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid 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 managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
