Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: 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. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
