Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas is a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
