The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
