The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
Lottie hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
