The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. 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 why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.