The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
