Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
