The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
