Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
