The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain 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 have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
