The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.