Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, 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 traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
