Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of 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.
- Craft a Story: One more method 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 making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
