Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: 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, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
