Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
