The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
