Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus 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 behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
