Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
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 understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt 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 a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
