Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year is a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
