Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her family during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
