The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're 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 moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
