Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.