The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
