The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
