Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
