Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
