Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision 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: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
