The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing 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 constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example 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. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
