The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.