The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
