The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure 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 time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
