The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear 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 managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
