The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
