The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays is a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting 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 really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
