Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
