The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.