Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
