The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle 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 festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. 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 gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
