Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if 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.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
