Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays is a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
