The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year can be a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds made by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
