Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
