The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates seeing her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
