Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this 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 competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
