Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
