Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"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 Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
