Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
