Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for being with her family this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, 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, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
