The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"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 comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
