Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I wish 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 panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
