Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
