Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
