Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
