The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives 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 make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
