The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
