Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
