The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas is a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
