The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.