Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person 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 at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
