Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates seeing her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, 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 difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.