The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
