Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas 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 upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
