Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem 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 some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
