Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
