The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
