Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, 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 clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
