The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than 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: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.