Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
