Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
