Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
