Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
She has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
