Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
