The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study discovered 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, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
