Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid 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 constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
