The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.