Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
