Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread 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 enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
