Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
