Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing 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 constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
