The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
