Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
