The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, 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 make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
