Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year is a especially challenging season as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
