Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
