Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique 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 challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
