Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
