Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention 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. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
