Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her family during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
