Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. 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 quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
