Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
