Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want 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 stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
