Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
