The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those made by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
