Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her relatives this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful 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 easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of 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.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
