The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.