The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, 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 ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, 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 create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
