The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a notably tough season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
