Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
