Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates seeing her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
