The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her family during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, 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 attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
