Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
