Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her relatives this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
