The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot 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 want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
