Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
