Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a notably tough time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
