Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, 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 familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
