Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas 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 make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
