Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears 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 various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
