The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
