Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
