Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
