The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, says her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
