Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
