The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid 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 enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
