Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
