Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, 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 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 appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
