Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
