The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
She has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
