Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with 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 immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
