The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed 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 hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
