The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.