The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.