The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
