The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
