Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
