A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
