The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays can be a notably tough period as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
