Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
