Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, 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 sounds."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
