Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape 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 wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
