The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for 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 wearing her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
