The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
