Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays 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 spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
