Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, 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 suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, 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.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
