The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face 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 aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
