Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing 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 internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
