Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
