Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for seeing her family over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
She has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful 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 constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
