Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention 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 creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
