The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, 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, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
