Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas can be a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
