Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She says her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure 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 shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
