The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful 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 sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
