The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her relatives over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation 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 at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
