Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
